


Separatist Web

by Cuthalion97



Category: Star Wars: Republic Commando, Star Wars: Republic Commando Video Game, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2020-12-31 21:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 93,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21152573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuthalion97/pseuds/Cuthalion97
Summary: After the events of 'Lair of Grievous', Kit Fisto is sent back to Vassek III with Delta Squad, an elite team of commandos. Their mission: obtain data and destroy Grievous' fortress. In the meantime, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Cody, Rex, and other clones from the 212th and 501st head to Rattatak. Their mission: confront and capture Ventress. What could possibly go wrong?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the new, updated, re-edited, re-written, revised . . . well, you get the idea.
> 
> The only thing I wish I could change now is the chapters - now that I'm working on 4,000 - 6,000 word chapters for 'In the Shadows', some of these chapters seem very short! But deleting them would delete the comments, so . . . *guilty shrug* :P
> 
> While on the subject of word count, though, I have a few extra scenes in the story that I hope you'll enjoy. Do drop by the comment section on your way out! I love to hear from you guys. ;D

The noise from the constant flow of traffic that surrounded the Jedi Temple did not penetrate the walls of the Council chamber. Kit Fisto stood in the center of the quiet room, facing Masters Yoda and Windu as he gave his report.

"What about your former padawan?" asked Mace Windu.

Closing his eyes briefly, the Nautolan answered, "His heart was in the right place, but he tried to answer Grievous' power with his own."

"To answer power with power, the Jedi way this is not," said Yoda. "In this war, a danger there is, of losing who we are." He glanced up, his deep gaze going through Kit Fisto, who bowed slightly as he felt the Grandmaster's quiet sympathy.

"The other Council members will be with us momentarily," Mace Windu said.

Kit Fisto waited, clasping his hands behind his back and gazing out at the unending streams of traffic. His mission to recapture the escaped Nute Gunray had ended the instant he realized that Gunray was not on Vassek III. It would have been better if Kit had ordered everyone to leave the moon then, but he had led the others on, trying to discover what Dooku's game was.

When the clones reported that Grievous' ship was approaching, Kit could have had them leave then, but instead he had decided to set a trap for Grievous. He had severely underestimated the warlord's Grievous had arrived. Nahdar's troopers had been killed one by one, until only Nahdar, Commander Fil, and Kit Fisto remained of their original group. Then that strange creature had attacked, killing the commander, and Kit had felt a deeper worry filling his heart as Nahdar swore vengeance on Grievous.

That worry had been justified, though not for the reasons he had initially feared. Nahdar hadn't gone over to the Dark Side, but he had died – though they could have escaped, Nahdar had insisted on facing Grievous in single combat while Kit watched helplessly.

_Another Jedi, dead._ Nahdar's death was not of his doing, and yet – _Had I ordered a retreat immediately, he and the others might still be alive. _

Behind him, the doors swished open. He turned to see Obi-Wan hastily entering the room. "Apologies for my tardiness, Masters," he said, glancing around at the many empty chairs. "Well, I see that I'm not the only one who is late."

"Time, the others still have," Yoda remarked implacably.

_Time? _Kit Fisto looked back out the window. The swiftness of death seemed strangely ironic. What were twenty-four years of life in the Jedi Temple in comparison with the three shots that had ended Nahdar?

What about the clones, and their eleven years of training, only for them to die at the hands of Grievous, on their first mission? Commander Fil had just been promoted and assigned to Nahdar – for what? To have his neck broken because Kit Fisto, famed duelist, got his weapon knocked out of his hand by a mindless monster?

He shook his head, vaguely aware of others speaking in the background. By allowing his emotions to get the better of him, he was treading dangerous ground. He was not without fault, and had never been so. He had made mistakes in the past, and would again in the future.

_And yet, before the war, these mistakes never seemed so costly._

"Master Fisto," said Obi-Wan. "We are ready when you are."

Kit turned to see that several other Council members were present, if only by hologram. He inclined his head apologetically. It was time to move forward, to put what had happened behind him, without forgetting it.

He listened as the others reported in, one by one, then gave a brief summary of his own mission.

Mace Windu leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand. "What can you tell us about this fortress, Master Fisto?" he asked.

"The fact that Count Dooku set a trap there seems to indicate that Grievous returns often," Kit replied. "I suspect that the fortress is Grievous' main lair. We found a room with Jedi trophies laid out in it. One of the rooms there was filled with his replacement parts. As for the rest of it, Nahdar and I only went through a small area of the complex while trying to locate the control room."

Yoda hummed. "Grievous' stronghold – allowed to stand, it cannot be."

"I agree," said Mace Windu.

"And I," said Obi-Wan. "However . . ."

"An idea, have you?" said Yoda shrewdly.

"Possibly. You mentioned a control room. Did you destroy the main computer?"

Kit Fisto shook his head. "Only the power core."

"And that is easy to replace – well, for someone like Anakin, in any case."

The blue hologram of Adi Gallia moved an arm. _"I see your point, Master Kenobi. It would be in the Republic's best interests if we attempted to retrieve the data before destroying the fortress."_

"Exactly," he replied, stroking his beard. "I would go to greet the good General myself, but Anakin and I have another mission."

Yoda shook his head. "Back to the fortress, Master Fisto will go," he said. "Know the situation best, he will."

"I look forward to it," Kit Fisto replied, his voice darkening. _Maybe too much. _He looked at the others. "My fleet is currently occupied in the Abregado system, but I don't think a large team is necessary. I could contact Commander Monnk and have him send a squad of his best men."

_"But you'd rather not?"_ said Shaak Ti, her large eyes focusing on Kit Fisto with unnerving intensity. _"It would be foolish to attempt the mission on your own."_

He gave her a half-bow. "It would, Master Ti. Foolish and pointless. I am no expert at computers or destroying fortresses. But the clones are no match for Grievous and his MagnaGuards, and we have no idea whether the general is still there."

Adi Gallia spoke again, gesturing to Luminara, who stood to her left. _"Our mission will be completed within the week," _she said in her low voice. _"Master Unduli and I could return and accompany you."_

_"You can't delay that long,"_ said Shaak Ti. _"Grievous will be expecting an attack of some sort. He might destroy the information before you can get there."_

"If I may," said Obi-Wan, raising a hand. "My commander has called in specialized squads for infiltration missions before. One such squad forced Ventress to retreat, and did so without any casualties."

Kit Fisto raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."

"Very well, Master Kenobi," said Windu, exchanging a glance with Yoda. "Contact your commander."

Obi-Wan pulled out his holocomm and pressed a button. "Cody, come in."

A small blue image flickered to life in his hand. _"General. What's up?"_

"Another mission needing specialized troops, I'm afraid. Master Fisto is attempting to infiltrate Grievous' base, recover any data available, and destroy the base as he leaves."

Cody remained motionless for a moment, considering. _"Yes, sir. How many men?"_

Obi-Wan turned to Kit Fisto, who stepped forward into the hologram's range. "As few as possible, Commander. Perhaps as few as two, if those troopers are skilled with explosives and retrieving data."

_"I can do that, sir,"_ said Cody, pulling out a datapad and typing in a command. _"In fact, I think I've got just the team for you."_

Kit Fisto nodded. "Thank you, Commander. I look forward to your report."

"And Cody," said Obi-Wan. "Recall the men from shore leave and prepare the ship for departure. I know it's earlier than we'd planned, but we're being given another mission."

_ "Yes, sir. Are we still sending the _Advocate_ to Kamino for the new recruits?"_

"Yes. I've already moved the rest of the fleet to support Admiral Yularen in the Arkanis Sector. Oh, and if you can get a hold of Rex, ask him to pass a message to Anakin. I need him on the _Negotiator _by thirteen hundred hours."

_"Will do, sir."_ Cody stiffened to attention, then vanished.

Obi-Wan put his holocomm away and looked up. Mace Windu was watching him, one eyebrow lifted. He smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid that my former padawan is not answering my calls. To be fair, though, we did expect to be on leave for another three movements."

Shaak Ti sighed. _"This war is not letting anyone rest. Least of all the Jedi and their troops."_

_"Indeed,"_ said Luminara. _"We seem to barely complete one mission before being sent on the next." _She gave a wry smile. _"But at least that means the Separatists are getting no rest either."_

"True," said Obi-Wan. "Master Yoda, what exactly does this mission entail? You suggested I bring Anakin."

"To Rattatak, you must go." Yoda narrowed his eyes, looking at the ground. "A wild planet, full of evil, it is."

"We have reason to believe that Ventress comes from Rattatak," said Mace Windu slowly. "She might not have bested any of the Jedi yet, but it is only a matter of time before she becomes more dangerous even than Grievous. She has sabotaged several ships, and singlehandedly killed hundreds of our men."

Luminara nodded. _"As most of you know, it was she who freed Nute Gunray from the _Tranquility_. I lost almost a full company of men to her, and she would have killed me if not for Padawan Ahsoka."_

Obi-Wan nodded thoughtfully. "Master Windu, might I ask why you think she comes from Rattatak? Not that a world of criminals wouldn't suit her, but I was under the impression that she was a Dathomirian."

Luminara glanced at him. _"She is. When I meditated after the battle, however, my mind went only to Rattatak. We did some research; there is a castle there. From the local records I read, it seems that she defeated the warlords and took over leadership of the capital."_

"I assume you have the location of this castle?" Obi-Wan asked.

_"Indeed."_ Her lips twitched wryly._ "It was not hard to locate Castle Ventress."_

Obi-Wan blinked. "How – unassuming."

"Your mission will be to take General Skywalker and capture Ventress," Mace Windu said. "I advise caution. Not only is the planet full of criminals and sympathetic towards the Separatists, but Ventress has spread her hatred of the Jedi to the Rattataki."

_ "Perhaps,"_ said Adi Gallia. _"I suspect that a civilization such as theirs would not take kindly to the Jedi, in any case."_

"True enough," said Obi-Wan. "It will certainly be a challenge."

Mace Windu glanced across at him, unimpressed. "That's putting it lightly."

* * *

An hour after the Council adjourned, Kit Fisto landed the small passenger transport in the hangar bay of the _Negotiator_. His dark mood was not gone, but now he had the ability to rectify, in some small way, the mistakes he'd made on his last trip.

As he left the ship behind Obi-Wan, Anakin turned from where he had been having an argument with R2 and grinned.

"Well, Master, I thought you were waiting for me."

Obi-Wan made a show of checking his chronometer. "I said thirteen hundred hours, Anakin. You still have ten minutes. And where is Ahsoka?"

"I sent her up to the bridge. Greetings, Master Fisto. Are you coming with us?"

"It is good to see you, Anakin," Kit said, speaking cheerfully. "No, I am traveling to Vassek III."

"Again?" Anakin shrugged. "Well, have fun."

They entered the lift. Obi-Wan pressed the control for the bridge and gave Anakin a look. "Why weren't you answering my calls? Why is it that every time we're on Coruscant, I have to go through my commander, and then your captain, _or_ your padawan, to reach you?"

Anakin grinned. "Just trying to keep you on your toes, Master. Besides, Cody was able to contact me directly. Maybe you just didn't try hard enough."

The doors opened, and the clones on duty stood at attention as the three Jedi entered the bridge. Obi-Wan waved a hand. "At ease, men. Anakin, I've called you nine times over the past two hours. Perhaps _you_ should make more of an effort not to ignore your comm signal, and then we wouldn't have these little misunderstandings."

Anakin ignored him, sauntering over to stand beside his padawan. "Hey, Snips."

Obi-Wan took the liberty of sending an exasperated look at the back of his head. "I don't think that –"

"It's okay, Obi-Wan," said Anakin jauntily. "Everyone has their off days."

Ahsoka, her arms crossed, rolled her bright blue eyes. "_That's_ for sure, Master. You were so morose after our last mission that getting you to talk was like pulling a rancor's tooth!"

Anakin looked defensive. "I was tired! And you spent the entire return trip bouncing off the walls!"

"General Kenobi," said Cody, over Obi-Wan's exaggerated and put-upon sigh. "I think you might want this."

Obi-Wan glanced down at the data-pad wearily. "What is it, Commander?"

"It's a code Switch and I put together, specifically for General Skywalker's comm. It should override the protocols he's been using to block your calls."

Obi-Wan brightened. "Why, thank you, Cody. I'm sure this will prove to be highly useful." He cleared the screen quickly as Anakin joined them.

Kit Fisto held back a grin. There was no point in arousing young Skywalker's suspicions before the trap could be sprung.

Anakin raised an eyebrow at him, as though to ask what he had found amusing.

He gazed back blankly.

Anakin narrowed his eyes.

"So," Ahsoka interjected cheerfully. "What's the plan this time, Masters?"

"You are going back to the Temple, young one," said Obi-Wan, ignoring her immediate frown. "Just because we're in the middle of a war doesn't mean you shouldn't keep up on your studies."

"But – Master Kenobi –"

"Now, Snips," said Anakin, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Obi-Wan wouldn't order you back to the Temple without reason."

Ahsoka stared as though she didn't recognize him, then looked at Obi-Wan, who was giving Anakin a strange look of his own. "Anakin . . ."

"What?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Never mind. Ahsoka, that message comes from Master Mundi, who is overseeing your clan's instruction for the next week."

Her shoulders drooped, but she nodded. "Yes, Master Kenobi. Just . . . don't do anything too exciting without me."

"Huh," said Anakin. "We'll probably get put on patrol duty anyway."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," Obi-Wan replied, turning to Cody. "Are we ready to get underway?"

"The last shipment of supplies is on its way here, General," said Cody, glancing at the data manifest nearby. "Captain Rex and Torrent Company are on board. All systems have been double-checked. We'll be prepared to leave within the hour."

"Right," interrupted Anakin. "But where are headed? Is this a covert mission?"

"With _you_ along?" Obi-Wan replied snidely.

Kit Fisto laughed. "Commander, what of the special forces troopers?"

Cody turned on the holoprojector and brought up a star map. "I contacted Captain Martz of the RAS _Prosecutor_ about a commando team, sir. He is standing by to speak with you, at your convenience."

"Very well, then."

The clone at the communications station pressed a switch, and the holoprojector flickered to life, showing a mustached man in impeccable naval uniform. He turned to face them and saluted. "General Kenobi, General Fisto."

"Captain," said Obi-Wan. "What is your position?"

_"We're currently orbiting the sixth moon of Fondor. Delta is just completing their mission, sir,"_ said the man.

"They're already on a mission?" asked Kit Fisto.

Captain Martz gave a microscopic shrug. _"They're always on a mission. Once they return, we're moving to the Outer Rim, where I'll be deploying three other commando squads. Commander Cody requested Delta Squad for you, General Fisto; if you prefer, I can wait at Fondor a while longer for you to pick them up."_

Kit Fisto turned to Obi-Wan, who pulled up a holomap, stroking his beard as he stared at it. "Hmm . . ."

Wordlessly, Cody pointed out Rattatak's position just as Anakin said, "There's Vassek III, in I-17."

"They're fairly close," Obi-Wan noted. "Captain, rather than waiting for us, I suggest you set a course for Gannaria, in the Trilon Sector. That should save time for both of us."

The captain studied his own map, then nodded decisively. _"Very well, General. We'll meet you there."_

The call ended, and Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan. "Okay, Master. . . what exactly are we doing on Rattatak?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big 'thank you' to Spectersticks, who allowed me to use her characters Switch and Snap. I appreciate it!


	2. Chapter 2

"Boss, get _down!_"

Delta Thirty-Eight threw himself behind the nearest wall, staggering as the ground shook violently. The acrid smell of hot metal penetrated his helmet's filtration system and seared his throat. Coughing raggedly, he peered through the smoke at his last position. The green-grey, underground moss that had surrounded the team for most of the mission had vanished completely, leaving the room behind him – or what he could see of it – lined with black ash.

"Squad, report," he ordered hoarsely. "What _was_ that?"

_"Some sort of grenade, sir,"_ said Fixer, his voice crackling in and out through the comms. _"The blast radius reads as forty meters. And the plant life – odd."_

_"Not just odd,"_ Sev grunted. _"Looks like the droids weren't damaged at all."_ A quick salvo of blaster shots sounded. _"Fixed that."_

Two droids hurried around the corner. Boss sidestepped their lasers and sent back a few of his own, destroying them. "What do you mean, 'weren't damaged'?"

_"They were still functioning like nothing happened,"_ said Fixer. _"The blast went right over them."_

"I don't like the sound of that," Boss said. He considered for a moment, checking his ammo clip. "Scorch, form up."

The demolitions expert jogged across the room to join him, ducking his head to avoid the low ceiling. "Right here, Boss."

"Fixer. Scorch and I will proceed to the LZ and clear it for Four-Two. Are you still in the command room?"

_ "We just left it."_

"Okay. Head back, see if you can find any intel on that grenade, then join us."

_"Got it, sir." _

Boss got to his feet and considered the two corridors that led away from their current position. Both led in the right direction, and both were empty, as far as he could see – which didn't count for much when you were underground. "Advisor, anything nearby we should be aware of?"

The tactical coordinator's voice cut through a faint buzz of static. _"My readings show fewer droids in the left-hand corridor. Hawkins is en route, but he'll need that cannon taken out before he can land."_

"Right. Scorch, we're taking the left-hand corridor. Let's leave a clear trail for Fixer and Sev."

Scorch slung his pack off his shoulders, withdrawing a demo pack. He placed it on the ceiling of the right-hand corridor, set it, and gave Boss the thumbs-up as he ran back across the room. "Five, four, three –"

Boss pressed the detonator.

The ground vibrated, and miniscule bits of duracrete drifted through the air in an expanding cloud.

". . . one," Scorch finished. He leaned forward, peering at the destruction. "Yep. No one's getting through here."

The cannon, when they got outside, was almost ridiculously easy to destroy. The droid guarding it didn't see the two commandos until Scorch stuck his vibroblade between its photoreceptors. After that, it was the work of moments for Boss to carefully place his last thermal beneath the seat of the cannon. The droid operating the gun disappeared in a flash of flame, still blissfully unaware of their presence.

"Landing zone's clear, Four-Two," Boss said.

_"Took you long enough,"_ the pilot joked._ "ETA one minute."_

Scorch wandered over to what was left of the cannon and prodded it. "You know, they really should shield these things."

_"I'll be sure to inform Count Dooku of your opinion," _said Advisor dryly._ "Delta Lead, we just received a transmission from Commander Cody. He's got a special mission for your squad."_

"He usually does. Any details?"

_"Not yet. He and General Kenobi are leaving Coruscant within the hour. They'll meet us in the Trilon sector."_

"That's on the edge of Wild Space," Boss mused. "I wonder what the Separatists have going on there."

A dull throbbing of engines heralded the arrival of the gunship, and Boss looked back at the tunnels. "Sev, Fixer, our ride's here."

_"On our way, sir,"_ replied Fixer. _"Advisor's got all the data I found. From what I saw, that grenade was commissioned by some Neimodian named Lok Durd. The mine was being used as a testing ground for it."_

"Hmm. Our operations here should back up their schedule a bit," Boss said, looking with satisfaction at the caved-in tunnels that marked the surface.

Sev chuckled, his voice darkly gleeful, as he exited the tunnel. "Especially since that last droid threw the newest prototype at us."

"Huh," said Scorch. "Even for a droid, that was a pretty dumb thing to do."

Fixer joined them. "Must have been dysfunctional. Explosives set, Three-Eight."

They climbed into the gunship. As the pilot took off, Boss casually thumbed the detonator. The blast doors slid shut over the crunch of collapsing masonry.

"Another day, another Separatist defeat," Scorch said.

"We have another mission soon," Boss said, removing his helmet and wiping his forehead. "Everyone rest up and double check gear and weapons."

"Yes, sir," said Fixer. "I heard the _Prosecutor_ was being moved to the Outer Rim." Boss nodded. "We're headed for the Trilon Sector at the request of Commander Cody. He and General Kenobi are set to meet us. I assume they'll be briefing us in person."

The gunship slowed noticeably as it approached the cruiser, and Boss replaced his helmet.

Scorch hefted his gun onto one shoulder. "Should be interesting."

The gunship settled into the hangar with a _clunk_, and the blast door sprang open.

"Delta Squad." The commandos turned to see Advisor approaching. "Glad to see you made it back in one piece."

"We always do," said Boss.

Advisor's helmet tilted, and Boss could imagine the sardonic look he was being given. All he said, though, was, "We rendezvous with the _Negotiator _in twelve standard hours. I suggest you make the most of it."

"Yes, sir," said Boss. "Squad, dismissed."

* * *

The hangar of the _Negotiator_ was quiet when there wasn't a battle in progress, Obi-Wan reflected. Or perhaps it was just the hour of day. On Coruscant, it would be half an hour past midnight. The very thought caused him to bite back a yawn, and he occupied himself with glancing around the hangar.

An occasional patrol passed, the clones on duty conversing in low voices, and several engineers were working on one of the gunships. Closer at hand, sticking out from beneath a yellow Delta-7 starfighter, was a familiar pair of scuffed boots. With a shake of his head, Obi-Wan moved in their direction and stood over the ship, arms folded. "I thought you were finishing that report."  
There was a grunt of surprise and Anakin's voice retorted, "Well, _I _thought _you _were preparing for Rattatak."

"I finished my research. What are you doing, anyway?"

"Replacing the sensor array. Again." Anakin scooted out from beneath the spacecraft and got to his feet, brushing himself off. "Where's Artoo when I need him? That makes the third time the array's been shot off this month."

"Maybe if you didn't insist on staying in the thick of battle, you wouldn't have to repair your ship so often."

The look Anakin gave him was patently unimpressed. He seemed to realize something, then, because he glanced around the hangar and back at Obi-Wan. "Hey, you aren't usually in the hangar."

"A good observation. As a matter of fact, I am waiting for the commandos to arrive."

Anakin pointed over his head with a grin. "Well, the wait's over."

A gunship crossed through the shield and spun ninety degrees, its engines shutting off before it actually hit the hangar floor.

Anakin's eyebrows jumped in appreciation of the pilot's skill, or perhaps his audacity. Obi-Wan wasn't sure he really wanted to know which.

Keeping this thought to himself, he approached the gunship, Anakin at his side. The doors opened to reveal five clones: four of them wearing differently colored commando armor, and one wearing standard trooper armor. The commandos seemed to be carrying a good deal of specialized equipment. He narrowed his eyes. Was that a _detpack _strapped to the yellow commando's leg? That couldn't be safe.

The five clones stepped out of the ship and faced Obi-Wan. The orange-marked one saluted. "Delta Squad reporting as ordered, General Kenobi."

"Good to meet you," he replied. "This is General Skywalker. General Fisto is on the bridge, finishing up communications with his fleet commander. If you'll accompany me there, we'll start the briefing. I understand Captain Martz wants to get underway as soon as possible."

"Lead the way, sir," the orange-painted one said. The other four remained silent.

Obi-Wan turned toward the bridge with a brisk nod. These commandos seemed even more uptight than Cody had been on his first mission. It would be interesting to see how they got along with Kit's relaxed form of leadership. Then again, commandos were used to working under their own direction.

He shrugged the thoughts off. There was enough to consider for his own mission as it was. Still, it might make for an interesting story, the next time he and Kit met at the Temple.


	3. Chapter 3

The bridge of the _Negotiator_ was just like the bridge of every other Republic Venator-class cruiser Delta Thirty-Eight had been on. What made this one interesting was that there were three Jedi standing around the holoprojector just in front of him. He'd seen only one of the fabled Jedi before. Master Windu, just after the Battle of Geonosis, had congratulated the squad on their success. But he'd only been present for a few moments, when the commandos were ready to drop from exhaustion, and Boss hadn't learned much from the brief encounter.

Now that they were going on a mission with a Jedi, it would be best to learn something about them beforehand. Cody might be a good man to ask.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the commander stepped forward. "General, I'll need your authorization on this."

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Cody." The bearded Jedi Master accepted the datapad, glanced over it, and signed it. "Master Fisto?"

"One moment," murmured the Nautolan Jedi's accented voice. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Anakin."

The younger Jedi scuffed one boot against the other. "No, no. Take your time." In spite of his words, he didn't act particularly patient, tapping the fingers of one hand against the opposite arm. The visual aid on Boss' HUD lit up, a green flicker passing over Skywalker's right arm. A prosthetic . . . interesting.

The bridge door hissed open, and the young Jedi turned, brightening. "Rex."

A clone captain, wearing the kama and pauldron of an ARC trooper, came in. Boss studied the blue jaig-eyes painted on his helmet. Not many clones had those. There was probably a reason Rex was captain of the legendary and allegedly insane Torrent Company, a division of the even more legendary and allegedly insane Five-Oh-First.

Boss wondered if the Five-Oh-First had been insane before it was assigned to General Skywalker, or if that came after. They hadn't been in action all that long. . .

"How's the shuttle looking?" asked Skywalker.

Rex halted beside him, hands locked behind his back. "The men finished changing it to your specifications, sir."

"Good," said the Jedi. "The criminal scum on that planet should have no reason to suspect a pirate ship."

"Oh, is that why." Captain Rex nodded. "Might want to be careful in the future. Hawk had a little too much fun. Looks like the portside sensor will need replacing."

Skywalker grimaced, and Kenobi looked politely quizzical. Boss decided it was probably best that Scorch and Sev weren't getting a chance to work with the 501st. They'd get too many ideas.

Beside him, Fixer typed something on his datapad, his helmet turned in General Fisto's direction. Most likely, he was accessing any records he could from the Republic database on the Nautolan. Almost in response to Thirty-Eight's thoughts, one of the clone technicians glanced at his computer, then at the commandos, an odd look on his face. He was probably wondering who was downloading through his terminal.

At that moment, the Nautolan looked up. "I apologize," he said. "I would have come to the _Prosecutor _immediately, but I had to arrange positions for my fleet."

"No problem," said Scorch. "It was getting boring over there anyway."

Fortunately, the faint sigh that Fixer let out could only be heard through the comms.

The general looked directly at Boss, blinking his large eyes. "You are the sergeant?"

"Delta Thirty-Eight, General," he replied. "Six-Two's the demolitions expert. The sniper is Oh-Seven, and Four-Oh is the technician." He smirked. "The one with the rookie armor is actually our tactical coordinator."

"Call me Advisor," the other man said. He glanced at Boss. "I don't usually work in the field, but because the _Prosecutor_ will be leaving, I'll be accompanying the squad for this one."

"I look forward to working with all of you," said the Nautolan, with a slight bow. He turned to the holoprojector, and a blue image flickered above it. "Our mission is to infiltrate Grievous' lair on Vassek III."

The squad moved closer, studying the schematics. "Infiltration is easy," said Sev, his helmet turning in General Fisto's direction. "What's the rest of the mission?"

"The objectives are two-fold. We must retrieve data from Grievous' central computer, and then destroy the fortress."

"Sounds fun," said Scorch, tilting his head in a way that told Boss he was calculating something involving explosives. "Uh – how destroyed do you want it?"

General Fisto chuckled. "I don't want anything in the fortress to be accessible when we're done with it, if that's what you mean."

"Right," said Scorch. "We'll have to collapse all three levels, then."

Boss leaned forward, pointing at a room that was highlighted in yellow. "I take it this is the computer room."

The general nodded. "Ah, yes – I should mention that the computer's power core will need to be replaced."

General Skywalker looked up, an almost mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Why, what happened to the original one?"

"I put my lightsaber through it to short out the security locks."

"We can handle that," said Fixer. "Do you have a schematic of the computer itself?"

"I'm afraid not. The schematic you're looking at now is from the basic scan I performed with my starfighter upon arrival. My team and I only explored part of the first level of the base."

Boss said nothing, but Advisor glanced at him. He knew, as well as anyone, what could happen with bad or incomplete intel. This mission would have to be taken as carefully as possible.

Boss lifted his right hand slightly in a question, and Fixer flicked two fingers in response – he had all the records available from the last mission to Vassek III. Maybe they'd be able to work out a few details that the general had simply not noticed.  
"Understood, sir," he said aloud. "Is there anything else we should know?"

"Grievous might be there." The Nautolan frowned, clenching one fist.

Ah, that must be why the Jedi was coming along. Even commando armor wouldn't hold up against lightsabers. At the same time, Grievous had killed many Jedi by now, and gotten away from even more.

_This mission's looking better all the time.  
_ "Well, have fun," Skywalker said, neatly summarizing the whole briefing. "We're off to Rattatak to deal with Dooku's bog witch."

"Heh," said Captain Rex. ". . . Great."

Cody folded his arms, frowning at the ground.

"Right," said General Kenobi. "And we have to go plan for that."

"Well, then, assuming we all survive this," said Skywalker, with a grin in Boss' direction, "We'll see you back here within a couple rotations. Or sooner."

"Or we'll be running to rescue them," said Rex.

Boss gave him his trademark blank stare, which, according to Scorch, could be felt through the helmet for lightyears. Six-Two ought to know – he was on the receiving end of it often enough.

Sev hefted his rifle. "Or we'll by running to pick up what's left of you," he said.

"Drinks are on the loser," Skywalker replied.

General Fisto gave him a bright grin. "I hope you have credits with you."

"Commandos versus regulars?" Scorch snickered. "No contest there."

"Yeah?" said Rex, resting a hand on one of the two pistols he wore. "You hear of the last mission the Five-Oh-First and the Two-Twelfth went on together?"

"Must have missed it," Sev grunted. "Why, did you win?"

"It's news when we _fail_, not when we win," Rex replied frostily.

Scorch looked up curiously. "Hey, Sev. Have we ever failed?"

General Skywalker smirked. "Maybe not yet, but I'm sure you'll learn."

Fixer and Cody looked at each other, silently communicating their joint disapproval of the situation and their comrades' behavior. Advisor said nothing, his posture stoic as always, though he did glance at General Fisto when the Nautolan laughed outright. Sev and Scorch had more or less faced off with Captain Rex. As for General Skywalker, he looked positively gleeful.

One of the unspoken rules of survival dictated that the unknown was always to be treated with caution, and 'gleeful' was not an expression Boss had ever expected to associate with a Jedi.

He was just wondering if he should intervene when General Kenobi stepped between the two groups. "All right," he said. "I'm sure the Separatists won't wait around while you try to finish this discussion."

"You are right, of course, Master Kenobi," Fisto replied with a bow. "If you would be so kind as to put a call through to the Council? We should notify them that we are ready to proceed with our respective missions."

"Of course."

As the three generals waited to speak with their fellow Jedi, Boss signaled to his squad to stay put and approached Cody. "Commander."

The scarred commander glanced up from his datapad, a slight frown between his eyebrows. "Yes, Sergeant?"

"We've never worked with a Jedi before. Anything we should know?"

Cody paused thoughtfully before answering. "I haven't worked directly with General Fisto myself, but he's known to be one of the best duelists in the Jedi Order." He glanced at his own general, a wry look entering his eyes. "You'll have to stay alert. Jedi tend to do pretty crazy things, particularly where the mission is concerned. Or their men. Or civilians that get in the way of the enemy."

Boss nodded. Vassek III was uninhabited, so civilians shouldn't be a problem. "I assume the generals mostly engage in short-range combat."

"Yeah, so watch your aim. Don't shoot the general." He sent out an order on his datapad and tapped out a reply to a second message before glancing up at Boss with a faint smile. "The Jedi – they like to be in the center of the fight. It can be hard to keep track of where they are."

"Hm," said Boss. "If they're anything as good as I hear, we won't even be needed."

"Don't worry about that. The Republic's been after Grievous since the war began, and no one's caught him yet."

He sent a calculating look in the Nautolan's direction. "One other thing – if he says he senses something, look sharp. We've avoided a lot of trouble that way."

Boss nodded once as a clone officer in a grey uniform approached. "Thanks. We'll keep our eyes open."

The commander smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck with your mission."

Cody turned away to listen to the technician's report, and Boss rejoined his squad.

"Anything interesting?" said Scorch.

"I'll fill you in later," said Boss. "Fixer, did you learn anything from the reports?"

"General Fisto and his men seriously injured Grievous towards the beginning of the first mission to Vassek III, which took place three standard days ago. Grievous escaped, and his MagnaGuards destroyed the shuttle."

MagnaGuards were bad news, but if Grievous was injured –

"Within the hour, Grievous was repaired and fully operational," Fixer continued.

Scorch sighed loudly.

"That fast," muttered Sev. "He must have a medical droid there."

"Most likely," said Fixer. "The two surviving clones were killed: one fell through a trap door into molten metal, and Knight Vebb's commander was killed by a roggwart."

"Lovely." Boss frowned. "Why did Grievous have a roggwart?"

Fixer shrugged and Sev asked, "Did the general kill it?"

"Yes."

Advisor shook his head. "We'll have to be careful on this one. If General Fisto only explored one level . . . Who knows what we'll run into."

"We've been through worse," said Scorch, elbowing him. "Besides, it's about time you got some field experience. Geonosis didn't count."

"Anything else?" Boss said before Advisor could retort.

"Nahdar Vebb was killed by Grievous in single combat," Fixer said. "General Fisto escaped after shorting the security system. He fought Grievous once more, but had to retreat when the MagnaGuards arrived."

There was a moment's silence.

"Looks like we have our job cut out for us," said Boss at last. "Was Knight Vebb a skilled duelist?"

Fixer hesitated, glancing over his data. "Unknown. He'd been on two missions before Vassek III. Both successful. He was General Fisto's former padawan."

"Padawan?" asked Scorch. "What's that?"

"A Jedi's apprentice," said Fixer flatly. "Scorch, do you _ever_ use your database?"

"Nah," said Scorch. "You're like an audible database anyway."

Boss glanced at him. "Tone it down. The general's approaching."

The Nautolan joined them, giving a quick smile. "All right, let's go. We don't want to keep Grievous waiting."

Scorch gave a huff of amusement as the squad followed. "Yeah, he's not exactly known for his patience. . ."


	4. Chapter 4

Far ahead of the _Negotiator_, Rattatak rotated slowly, brown and arid-looking even from this distance. Obi-Wan stood at the viewport, stroking his beard as he mentally reviewed what he knew. The planet was covered in large cities. The population was in an almost constant state of warfare, with multiple gangs and people dropping in and out of various alliances. His destination, Castle Ventress, was right in the center of Heela: the biggest, most war-torn, scum-infested city on the entire planet.

_Perfect._

“Cody,” he said. “Have you chosen your team?”

“Yes, sir.” The commander stepped up beside Obi-Wan. There was a short pause before he spoke again. “General, our intel says these people are hostile towards Jedi. Are you sure you want to be going down there alone?”

“I’d rather not be going down there at all,” he replied with a shrug. “Cody, these people are even more against the Republic than they are the Jedi. They would not take kindly to seeing Republic soldiers in their streets. Once Anakin and I have taken the castle’s shield down, you can land in the courtyard – without being seen, if all goes well.”

“Yes, General. I’ve left orders for the _Negotiator_ to withdraw to Endor once we launch the shuttle.”

“Excellent. We don’t need the entire planet up in arms searching for us. Hopefully, they’ll think we just stopped by for a trajectory recalibration.”

His comlink blinked green. _“Hey, you going to get down here?”_ Anakin’s voice demanded. _“Everyone’s waiting for you and Cody.”_

“Yes, well, patience is a virtue you could all work at,” Obi-Wan retorted. A horrifying thought struck him, and he nearly stopped walking. “Anakin, we aren’t taking the _Twilight,_ are we?”

_“Of course, Master. It’s perfectly suited for this kind of mission.”_

Obi-Wan entered the lift with Cody, pretending not to hear the laughter in Anakin’s voice. “Are you sure you can’t find something less likely to crash?”

_“I could, but the clones and I went to a lot of trouble to make it look like a smugglers’ ship. What’s the matter, don’t you trust my flying?”_

The lift stopped, and the doors opened to reveal the _Twilight. _Anakin, who was standing on the lowered ramp, glanced up, clicking off his comlink.

“You always manage to crash,” Obi-Wan answered, raising his voice so as to be heard clearly. He looked at the outside of the ship for a long moment.

“Hm,” Cody said skeptically.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Anakin, may I ask why there are heavy-blaster marks all along the portside?”

Anakin looked confused. “I told you, we made it look like a smugglers’ ship.”

“. . . You shot it,” Cody said.

“Well, yeah. How else were we going to make it fit in?”

Obi-Wan shut his eyes briefly. “I trust it can still land?”

“Of course. Come on, Master, you’re acting like we shot the _engines_ or something.”

Anakin turned and vanished into the ship’s interior, leaving Cody and Obi-Wan on the ramp. They glanced at each other.

“You don’t think . . .?” began Obi-Wan in an undertone.

Cody hesitated. “I wouldn’t put it past them, sir, but General Skywalker’s pretty good with ships. He’d probably know if he’d damaged anything too badly.”

“I hope you’re right.” Obi-Wan boarded the ship, thinking that the phrases ‘pretty good’ and ‘he’d probably know’ weren’t particularly reassuring.

The ramp closed behind them and the deck vibrated as the engines fired up. In spite Anakin’s admittedly undeniable skill, Obi-Wan felt himself bracing for an explosion that never came. The ship jolted as it took off, and a moment later the artificial gravity came on.

The speaker system crackled, and Anakin said, _“See?”_

Electing to ignore his former apprentice, Obi-Wan moved across the hold, checking on the men. The clones with yellow-painted armor were hurriedly giving their weapons one last check, and those marked with blue paint were placing bets on who would kill the most droids. Typical pre-battle behavior, then.

He glanced over the members of his own battalion, wondering whom Cody had picked: Longshot, Waxer, Boil, Wooley, Gadget, Switch, Snap. . . He didn’t recognize the last clone.

“New recruit, Cody?” he asked, nodding in the soldier’s direction.

“He’s been with the Two-Twelfth for a few weeks, sir. He still hadn’t picked a name when I transferred him to Ghost squadron, so the men named him after it. He’s a good marksman.”

Anakin sauntered into the room, hands clasped behind his back. “All right, men, listen up.”

The troopers jumped to attention.

“Oddball’s going to drop Obi-Wan and me off at the city spaceport. We’ll move to the castle and take down the shields. Then, and only then, will you take off and land at the castle. I’ve already loaded codes that should allow you by the castle’s automated outer defenses without a problem. Once you land in the courtyard, lock down the perimeter and wait for further orders.”

“General,” said the 501st sergeant, Boomer. “What’s our objective?”

“Uh,” Anakin replied eloquently.

He looked at Obi-Wan, who stepped smoothly in to fill the gap. “To put it simply, we’re going after Ventress.”

“‘Going after’,” repeated Boil. “Capturing or killing, sir?”

“Ideally, we’re to bring her back to Coruscant unharmed,” he replied. “Your part in the mission is a little less clear. We have no idea what forces she has, or what kind of trouble we’ll run into.”

“Right,” said Cody. “You men will stay with Captain Rex and me until we receive orders from the generals. We could be seeing a lot of action, or none at all.”

_“Generals,”_ said Oddball. _“We’re approaching the spaceport. I’m sending them our landing code now.”_

Everyone quieted, waiting for the next report. Some of the clones shifted or rested their hands on their weapons.

The ship slowed noticeably, jostling a little.

_“We’re in the atmosphere,”_ said Oddball._ “They haven’t responded to the codes yet, but – Sir, they’re asking for our cargo manifest.”_

“Tell them we’re here to pick something up,” said Anakin, with a cocky grin. “No cargo as of yet.”

_“Yes, sir.”_ A moment later, the speakers clicked again. _“We’re cleared to land. The official says the fee is four hundred credits.”_

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Of course he does. Fine, we’ll handle it. Keep out of sight, men, and – have fun waiting, I guess.”

“General,” said Rex with a salute. “Try not to get captured this time.”

“Come on, Rex, that was _one _time.”

“Yes, sir. Just a suggestion.”

“Thanks,” Anakin replied with a smirk. “Make sure you and your men don’t blow up anything without my permission this time.”

“Just following your lead, sir.”

“Commander,” said Obi-Wan, a little louder than usual, so as to be heard over the others’ bickering. “Keep on the lookout. Ventress didn’t get to be ruler of Rattatak by being careless, and I imagine she might have a few nasty surprises in store for us – even if she doesn’t know we’re coming.”

Cody replied with a sharp nod, and Obi-Wan hurriedly put on his long cloak, pulling it over his lightsaber. When he got to the bottom of the ramp, Anakin had already paid off the spaceport official, a Weequay with a long-nosed pistol, and was checking the map on his wrist-projector.

“Okay,” he said. “It looks like we’ve got to get through three miles of slaver-filled streets before we reach the castle.”

“Just stay focused,” said Obi-Wan. “If any talking is needed, _I’ll_ handle it.”

Pulling the Force around themselves in a shield to ward off unwanted attention, the two Jedi set off.

The streets of Rattatak were crowded, so much so that Obi-Wan was having trouble maneuvering through them without walking into anyone. The Force buzzed in his mind with a high level of watchfulness, surrounded as he was by criminals of every known caliber. There were several minds with lethal intent on this street alone, though none of the would-be murderers were focused on him or Anakin. Yet.

“I’ll be glad to get out of here,” muttered Anakin, ducking around a group of drunken Rodians. “I hate places like this.”

“Keep it down,” said Obi-Wan, nodding a terse greeting to a Besalisk that stood in the doorway of run-down cantina. The tall alien folded four arms across his massive chest, watching the two of them with narrowed eyes. “Even with the Force, we’re attracting attention. People here seem to be naturally suspicious.”

A laser shot sounded across the street, and a Weequay fell from a second-story window with a cry. The Jedi hurried to get out of range of the ensuing firefight, their minds focused on their surroundings with more intensity than before.

“This whole planet is a war waiting to happen,” Obi-Wan observed. “Somehow, it doesn’t surprise me that Ventress rules it.”

“It’s worse than Tatooine,” said Anakin with disgust, nodding towards a woman who was in the process of stealing a Twi’lek’s moneybag.

“The worst of the galaxy gravitates towards Rattatak,” said Obi-Wan. “And I’m afraid the worst of _them_ gravitate toward Heela.”

The Twi’lek who had been robbed turned around with a yell of fury and backhanded the woman into the street, drawing a knife. She shot him twice and ran off with the bag as he collapsed mid-curse.

Anakin winced. “We’ve only been here an hour, and that’s the third murder we’ve seen!”

“The dark side of the Force is strong here,” said Obi-Wan quietly. “We must be extremely careful, Anakin.”

They could see the castle now, a tall building of red sandstone that towered over the rest of the city. Ten pillars situated in front of it held powerful anti-aircraft turrets, and the pillars were shielded by a wall.

Obi-Wan located a building that was higher than the wall and moved towards it at a leisurely stroll. Anakin’s tension was palpable in the Force, and he glanced at him. “Calm down, Anakin, please.” 

“Sorry. This place is just –”

“Trust me, I know.” Obi-Wan squinted up at a sign posted above the doorway. “Is this a cantina or a store?”

“I can’t read Neimoidian,” replied Anakin. “Let’s find out.”

The door required a code to be inserted for entrance, but the necessary numbers were so clearly worn off the pad that it was the work of moments to get the right three-digit combination.

Anakin strode through the door. “Huh. No one here. It looks like a speeder shop.”

“How could you tell?” said Obi-Wan sarcastically, gesturing to the forty speeders lined up against the far wall. “Come on, we need to get to the roof before the owner returns.” 

“I can’t believe you’ve taken up housebreaking,” said Anakin in mock horror as they ran up the stairs.

“It’s not a private residence, or I wouldn’t dream of it.” Obi-Wan stumbled as the metal stairs tilted beneath him.

“Yeah, I know. Still, it feels weird to be ducking the law like this.”

“Hmm,” he agreed, reaching for the control that would open the roof door. “I suppose it’s fortunate that the law here seems to be survival of the fittest.”

They made sure the low-edged roof was free of inhabitants before creeping forward to the edge that overlooked the castle. Obi-Wan took out his electrobinoculars as Anakin kept watch on the street below.

“Hopefully, no one thinks we’re snipers or assassins,” commented Anakin.

Obi-Wan ducked automatically. “Anakin, this is hardly the time.” He focused the binoculars on the castle’s entrance, easily visible now behind the wall. Two super battle droids stood to either side of the main door, and four more patrolled the area in front of the castle.

There would be no getting in that way, at least not without setting off an alarm. He shifted position, zooming in on the docking bay. It was empty. He frowned, checking more carefully. The Geonosian fighter that was practically Ventress’ trademark should be there, unless perhaps she had a docking bay in the castle itself.

He lowered the binoculars. “Anakin, I don’t see her ship anywhere.”

“Good,” he replied immediately. “If she’s not there, it’ll be a lot easier to set up an ambush. Did you find a way in?”

“Yes, but we’ll have no idea how long we’ll have to wait for her to arrive, if she really isn’t there,” he said, going back to his reconnaissance. “There’s a low building connected to the castle on the eastern side. We should try to get in that way.”

“Whatever you say, Master.”


	5. Chapter 5

Cody was recalibrating his lifeform sensor when the click of armored boots sounded on the deck beside him.

"Cody," Rex said, his voice lowered. "It's been four hours already."

"Relax," said Cody, taking off his helmet and tweaking the antenna on his shoulderplate. His being thrown across the room in that last mission hadn't done it any favors. "The generals know what they're doing."

"Most of the time, yeah," said Rex, sitting down. "I just read a bit about Rattatak."

"So did I. What did you find out?"

"The whole planet seems to hate Jedi. And the Republic."

"Which is exactly why we can't go in yet."

"Right. . ." Rex frowned. "I still don't like it. What happens if Ventress finds out we're here? This landing platform is completely exposed. We could be bombed off the map before we even start the engines!"

Cody sighed. He'd considered all this already, several times, but no matter how many times he ran through it, he kept coming to the same conclusion. "Rex, our best chance – and the generals' best chance – is for us to stay here. There's nothing we can do if we do leave apart from waiting around, hoping that she doesn't send fighters after us."

Rex shook his head. "I know. But I still wish we had a little more to go on than just watching for the shield to go down."

Cody activated the ship's internal comm. "Oddball. Anything from the scanners yet?"

_"Shield's still up, sir. No suspicious activity in our immediate vicinity."_

"Hmm. Try running a discreet scan on all incoming ships."

_"Right away, sir."_

"A 'discreet' scan?" said Rex, raising an eyebrow.

"Low level, not likely to be picked up by other ship scanners."

"Looking for trouble?"

Cody grinned and connected his datapad to the ship's main port. "Let's just say that I like to have all the variables accounted for. If Ventress decides she needs help, she'll probably call off-planet. The natives won't necessarily support her. She took over this planet by force, killing all the warlords who failed to back her."

"General Skywalker says that Ventress is dangerous, but undisciplined," said Rex.

Cody's mind flicked back to his last encounter with Ventress, and one hand lifted automatically to touch the scar that ran over one eye and down the side of his face. "She is undisciplined," he replied. "That's exactly _why_ she's so dangerous – especially when she's about to lose. She'll take anything she can get before escaping."

Something flashed onto his datapad, and he looked down at it, eyes widening as he scanned the incoming data. "Oh, this isn't good."

Rex leaned over, peering at the screen. "What?! General Grievous' ship is _here_?"

"It's his ID, all right. Oddball! Get me a trajectory on the ship identifying as _Soulless One_. We'd better warn the generals." Cody activated his wrist comm, rapidly punching in the scramble set code. "General Kenobi, come in."  
The general answered immediately, his voice lowered almost a whisper._ "Cody? I hope this is important."_

_"Commander!" _said Oddball. _"The ship's headed directly for the castle."_

"General," said Cody. "Sir, Grievous' fighter just entered the atmosphere. It's heading for the castle."

There was a long moment of silence. _"I was hoping we wouldn't have any further complications with this," said _the general's voice at last, weary exasperation in every word.

Cody waited, but no instructions followed. "Sir? What are your orders?"

_"Just a moment – no, Anakin, we are not taking on Grievous and Ventress at the same time! –"_

_"Why not?"_ said Anakin's voice faintly. _"We can't – look out!"_

There was a momentary scuffle, a clatter, a blaster shot.

Rex and Cody exchanged silent glances.

"Ah – General?"

No answer.

"Sir, are you all right?"

There was a faint crackle. _"Sorry about that,"_ Obi-Wan replied calmly. _"Just an errant guard. Where were we?"_

Rex leaned closer to Cody's comlink. "Deciding what to do about the cyborg headed directly for you, sir. Should we step in?"

_"Captain, I appreciate the offer, but I'm not sure if that would be advisable at the moment."_

"You can just say 'no', sir," said Rex with a smirk.

_ "Very well, then. Stay put for now. See if you can get a call through to General Fisto before he lands and let him know he doesn't have to worry about Grievous being there."_

"Right away, sir," said Cody.

_"Stay alert."_ The general's voice was suddenly hurried. _"I'll contact you if something goes wrong."_

The connection was cut just as Oddball said, _"Commander, the shield just shut off."_

Cody jumped for the wall panel. "Stay put! That's not our signal. The shield must have been lowered to let Grievous in."

_"Roger that, sir."_

Rex snorted, drawing his right-hand blaster and spinning it. "'If something goes wrong', the general said? If you ask me, something's already going wrong."

"Yeah," said Cody, sitting down again. "And all we can do is wait."

* * *

"General Fisto, incoming transmission from Commander Cody," said Advisor, turning his head suddenly.

The commandos straightened as one.

"Don't tell me they completed their objectives already," complained Scorch. "We _just_ left the _Prosecutor_."

"Yes, Commander?" the general said.

_"Sir, General Grievous just landed here."_

The Nautolan's face darkened slightly. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said after a moment. "Hopefully, he will not interfere with your mission."

Cody did not look optimistic. _"We'll take care of him," _he said all the same.

The _Prosecutor _was only a few kilometers from the shuttle when Captain Martz took her into hyperspace. Delta Thirty-Eight watched her vanish, then headed to the hold to check on his squad mates.

Fixer knelt, checking the contents of his backpack for at least the third time, while Scorch and Sev leaned against the far wall.

Fixer looked up. "The power core shouldn't be a problem, sir. If it is, I can always jury-rig something."

Boss replied with a nod. "Does everyone have ascension cables?"

"Two each," said Scorch. "Belt and gun."

"Good. Those trap doors could be a problem. Be prepared for anything. This'll be our first mission without backup."

"Don't worry, sir," said Sev. "I've got extra ammo."

"You can't eat ammo," Scorch pointed out. "I hope you left some room for supplies."

Sev tapped the belt around his waist. "Ration bars and hydration tablets. Enough for two days."

"We shouldn't be away from the _Predator_ longer than six hours," Fixer said. "If everything goes according to plan."

"It won't," Scorch said cheerfully. "Good thing we have a bacta tank on the shuttle. . . Not that we'll be near enough to use it."

"Which is _why_ we're bringing medkits," Sev said, his tone insinuating that Scorch was being stupid. "If you didn't forget yours."

"Come on, cut it out." Fixer got to his feet. "Sir, is there anything else?"

"Not as long as we have explosives and bacta." Boss smiled faintly. The vibrating of the ship increased. "Get ready, Deltas. We're entering the atmosphere."


	6. Chapter 6

Obi-Wan and Anakin crouched beneath a computer station, holding their breaths as the patrol walked by. The metallic clanking of the battle droids gradually faded, and Anakin crawled out of their impromptu hiding space. It took Obi-Wan a little longer, as he was still wearing his long robe. Anakin had discarded his own the moment they'd sneaked through the gate.

"I don't like that Grievous is here," Obi-Wan mused, following Anakin at a run. "I think I'll go find out what he's up to."

Anakin skidded to a halt at the corner, glanced both ways, and turned right. "Let's get the shield down first and regroup. We still have no idea where Ventress is."

"Wait," said Obi-Wan. "If we lower the shield now, he'll know something's wrong."

"And if we don't, we'll be stuck here by ourselves with a bog witch and a cyborg."

"I thought you were all for a frontal attack."

Anakin ignored him. He crept up to a large metal door and listened at the door, then pressed the switch. When nothing happened, he shrugged and drew his lightsaber, stabbing through the doorframe until he'd broken through the bolt. "This stairway should lead to the security room."

Obi-Wan slipped out of his robe and tossed behind the nearest pile of storage crates. "It looks like you have this handled. I'm going to find the throne room."

"Can't it wait?" Anakin asked, stopping a few steps down and glancing back. "This should only take a few minutes."

"I know," Obi-Wan said, straightening his tunic. "But Grievous and Ventress hate each other. If they're working together, it must be important."

"Uh-huh," said Anakin. "Well, try not to get yourself killed. I'd hate to have to come and bail you out again."

"That was _one _time," he retorted. His former apprentice muttered something about Jedi Masters forgetting how to count.

Obi-Wan magnanimously decided not to reply. "Just worry about turning the shield off on my mark."

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it."

* * *

The deep gorges and canyons of Vassek III slowly appeared through the mists that seemed to be a permanent part of the moon's atmosphere. Boss stood in the cockpit as Advisor slowed the ship to a near-hover, looking for a place where they could safely land.

In the co-pilot's seat, General Fisto activated the scanners. "We shouldn't use the landing platforms," he mused, pulling up a chart. "It looks like our best option is to land at the bottom of the nearest canyon and climb up."

"Yes, sir." Advisor brought the ship around and started the landing sequence.

Boss headed back to the hold and waited with his men until a soft jolt told him they'd landed. Advisor and General Fisto joined them a moment later, the Jedi checking his own ascension cable.

The atmosphere was chill and damp, even through the protective bodysuits the clones wore. Heavy wisps of fog drifted by constantly, making it difficult to see, and the ground was slippery with creeping moss.

Boss evaluated his surroundings quickly and moved to the base of the cliff. "Stay alert," he cautioned.

The six of them lined up and aimed their ascenders. Boss kicked off the ground an instant behind the others, wanting to keep an eye on Advisor. The soldier was doing well enough, certainly better than any rookie would have done, but he hadn't had commando training. Neither was he used to working in the field, and although he'd been on the ground during the Battle of Geonosis, Vassek III was vastly different.

As for the Jedi – Boss braced himself against the jagged stones, his boots skidding a little against the moss as he leaned back to locate the general. He felt his eyebrows jerk upward. The Jedi was far ahead of the others, only making use of his cable for brief moments in between long, distance-eating jumps.

"Great," he said aloud.

Scorch heard him and looked up, too. "Hey, Boss, how are we supposed to protect him if he doesn't wait for us?"

"Guess we're not," Sev replied.

Fixer, who was the farthest ahead, balanced against an outcropping and glanced down. "Just focus on catching up."

It took four and a half minutes for Boss and Advisor to reach the top, the other three clones four minutes, and the Jedi exactly one.

He was perched at the top of the cliff, looking through a set of electrobinoculars, when Boss stepped over the top and retracted his cable.

The general turned to him with a grin. "One more short climb to the landing pad, and we can enter."

Boss nodded. "General Fisto, we should stay together. It's safer for everyone."

He wasn't sure how the Jedi would take being reprimanded, but the Nautolan only bowed his head in acquiescence and moved on.

The second climb was much easier, since all they had to do was hold onto their ascenders and allow themselves to be lifted to the landing platform. Boss caught the edge in both hands and swung himself up, drawing his pistol as he landed on one knee. The platform was covered in rubble. Large pieces of twisted durasteel and crumbled stone lay scattered around, and at the far end was a warped hunk of metal that might once have been a ship.

"Clear," he said, detaching his ascender.

The others joined him rapidly, and General Fisto surveyed the wreckage with a grim expression. "That was Nahdar's shuttle," he said. "We must be careful. The MagnaGuards are capable warriors – for droids, that is."

Scorch surveyed the huge stone front of the fortress. "We're going to have to blast through that," he announced, already removing his pack.

"Not yet," General Fisto said. "This door opens easily."

He pressed one of the stone blocks in and the wide doors swung soundlessly inward. "Now, let's get to the control room."

The Nautolan moved casually, almost carelessly, not even removing his lightsaber from his belt.

Boss signaled to his men to take up guard positions around him, and fell back to bring up the rear. In his experience, most traps were sprung from behind. "Anything nearby, Fixer?"

"Nothing on scanners, sir."

"When we first came here, there was nothing on the scanners, either," said General Fisto quietly, coming to a stop. "I sense nothing close by, but there _is_ danger here."

He drew his lightsaber, but didn't activate it. "The computer room should be right through here. . ." The door hissed open, and they entered. "I see Grievous has not bothered to repair the damage I caused."

"Nice," said Scorch, glancing at the burn marks in the computer center. "This going to be your base of operations, Advisor?"

Advisor, who had been quiet so far, studied the keys that covered the control station. "_If_ Fixer and I can get it running, and you better hope we can. It looks like everything in the base can be controlled from here."

General Fisto opened a door on the opposite wall and stared out into the corridor, then down at the floor as though he expected to see something. Boss watched as the general let out a slow breath, his shoulders lowering slightly. When he turned back to the others, his eyes had changed to a deeper shade of their normal purplish-black, and his mouth was set strangely, but he said nothing.

"There's a set of charging cables back here," called Scorch from the connecting room. "But no droids."

Fixer and Advisor were already at work, removing a power unit and various cables from Advisor's pack. Fixer leaned over the control board. "Why didn't Grievous have this repaired?" he muttered. "A basic replacement is all that's needed."

"Maybe he didn't plan on coming back," said Boss, joining him. He kicked the remains of a medical droid out of the way, noting with interest that both the medical droid and the chair beside it had been cut neatly in half.

"That doesn't make sense," said Sev. "Why would he just leave everything?"

Scorch shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't need any of it."

"But he does," said General Fisto, his demeanor back to normal. "The room we found had hundreds of replacement parts for his cybernetic limbs. Those would not have been cheap or easy to obtain – even for Grievous."

Boss unhooked his blaster from his belt. "Scorch, stay here. Sev, you and I will check the corridors." He turned to leave, then paused as he remembered the chain of command. "Unless you have other orders, General?"

General Fisto looked up. "I command the mission," he said, with that odd air of nonchalance that seemed peculiar to him. "You command the squad, Sergeant. If the MagnaGuards show up, I'll handle them."

"Yes, sir."

Boss moved quickly into the hall, Sev at his shoulder. He tried not to feel unprofessionally relieved, but failed. Whatever else this mission became, at least it wouldn't be like that one on Khelfir, with the incompetent Captain Ozzel making decisions on things he knew nothing about. He'd gotten a lot of good men killed that day, and if the 104th hadn't arrived, the Republic might well have lost the battle.

The commandos had been ordered to stay at the Republic base – 'held in reserve', Ozzel had said, and Boss still remembered Scorch's loud indignance, Sev's deadly glare, and Fixer's tense annoyance . . . to say nothing of his own quiet anger. Commandos weren't designed to be held in reserve. They were sent in to do what the regular troopers couldn't, and they were sent in fast. Commandos led missions and cleared the way for the regulars; they didn't stay behind to wait until after the battle had been won. But orders were orders, and like it or not, Captain Ozzel outranked Thirty-Eight.

Fortunately, that situation had changed quickly when the 104th's general, a Kel Dor named Plo Koon, sent Commander Wolffe to take control of the situation.

Commander Wolffe was a competent, no-nonsense clone with a prosthetic eye – his original one had been sliced out by the Separatist assassin Asajj Ventress. He was openly scornful of Ozzel when he delivered the general's orders, to the point where he'd had Fixer wincing at his tone, despite the fact that Wolffe _was_ the captain's superior.

And Ozzel had been afraid of the scarred clone – afraid and resentful.

There was obviously some previous history between the two, but Boss hadn't spent too much time thinking about it. He was simply glad to be back in the action, particularly since he and Advisor had been trying to pressure Ozzel into letting the squad go after the airbase since the troops touched ground.

After the mission's completion, Wolffe had pulled Delta Thirty-Eight aside and spoken in an undertone to him. He'd told him how Ozzel had been promoted to captain after having betrayed the Republic at the Battle of Khorm. He'd even warned him that, the next time they were sent on a mission with Ozzel, Boss might have to take matters into his own hands. "Consider that a direct order from me," Wolffe had told him, his gaze intense.

Boss checked the next hallway, using his sniper scope to zoom in on a security panel he'd caught sight of. The lights were all green, so he lowered his gun and continued walking, his senses on high alert. He supposed it was just as well that, after the first battle, General Koon had described Delta Squad to the Jedi Council as a "highly competent squad" and recommended that they be given more solo missions.

It had been a fortunate decision, for the squad as well as for Captain Ozzel. Boss had no desire to serve under a captain whose orders he had to constantly second-guess, and he certainly didn't want to spend his time playing peacekeeper between his squad mates and his superior officer. Commandos ranked high on the skill level, but not in command structure.

Not that Boss wanted a higher command. He was more than happy to leave the organizational work to men like Wolffe and Cody.

After checking out a small, empty, side room, Boss turned back to the command center. Sev met him at the door.

"All clear on my side, sir," he said.

"Same here." He entered the room to see Scorch slouching against one wall, tossing and catching a thermal detonator with one hand.

Boss let out his breath silently. "Scorch, put that away. How's it looking, Fixer?"

"Just finished, sir. All systems are up. Testing screens now."

The wide-paneled screens flashed on above the desk.

"Excellent work," said General Fisto, and gestured to Advisor. "Will you be able to get the data transferred?"

The tactical coordinator sat down, flicking switches and setting controls with practiced ease. "Yes, sir. You guys get started."

The general hesitated. "We could end up some distance away from here."

"I'll lock the doors behind you." He tapped his blaster rifle, which rested against the chair. "I'll be fine, sir."

"Very well." General Fisto sounded uncertain.

Delta Thirty-Eight was a little hesitant himself, but they might very well need all four commandos to complete the mission, and Advisor would be able to see danger long before it arrived. "Run a comms check. We'll need everyone to have an open channel to Advisor."

A moment later, Advisor nodded. "All right, I've got everyone. Deltas, make sure you have an open channel to the general."

"Already done," said Sev.

The Jedi smiled again. "Let's get started, then!"


	7. Chapter 7

Obi-Wan decided that crawling around in ventilation systems was something he spent entirely too much time doing. He shifted carefully, trying to stretch his cramped shoulders without making a sound as he crouched just out of sight behind a decorative grille that overlooked the throne room. His spine gave a loud crack, and he winced reflexively before leaning forward to see better.

The room beneath him was large and lavishly decorated. The woven tapestries of brown and black complemented the shaded sandstone that formed the walls, ceiling, and floor. Everything else seemed to be constructed from exquisitely hand-carved wood. He wondered about the castle's original owner. Somehow, he just couldn't imagine Ventress going to the trouble to buy or select furnishings.

Speaking of whom . . . He drew back, quickly drawing up mental shields to keep his presence in the Force hidden as a black-robed figure swept into the room.

"Greetings, General," she said.

"What took you so long, assassin?" The rasping voice of the cyborg filled the entire room, and Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. He had known Grievous was near, but not _that _near. Usually the Separatist leader was significantly . . . louder.

"My master just contacted me. The Jedi will be coming here soon," Ventress replied smoothly. "I cannot leave until the threat has been eliminated."

Obi-Wan frowned. How had Count Dooku known?

"What has that to do with me?" Grievous replied, clanking about the room. "You summoned me here with an emergency code for _nothing!_"

"You have not been answering my master's summons."

"Count Dooku does not have the right to summon me! He led the Jedi Fisto to my stronghold to test me, and still he expects unquestioning obedience? I will not be manipulated!"

_Funny,_ thought Obi-Wan. _That's what the good general always says, but there is no one more easy to manipulate than he. . ._

"The Jedi Council will most likely send Kenobi after me," said Ventress. "Here, in my stronghold, we would hold the advantage."

The clanking stopped. "I'm listening, assassin."

_Case in point_, Obi-Wan thought snidely.

"Take control of the droids in the lower levels. My spies reported a pair of robed men leaving the landing area this morning."

"You had better be right," Grievous told her. "I will do as you say – for now."

The two of them left the throne room, and Obi-Wan backed hurriedly away from the grate, raising his comm. "Anakin? I'm afraid we're in a bit of trouble."

_"Meaning what, exactly?"_

"Ventress knows we're coming, and Grievous is going towards the basement."

_"Lowering the shields,"_ Anakin replied immediately, and Obi-Wan heard his lightsaber ignite. _"Head for the courtyard?"_

"Yes," said Obi-Wan, breaking into a run. "We need to get everyone inside before Ventress knows we're here."

* * *

"Shield's down, sir!" exclaimed Oddball.

"Take us up," Cody replied immediately, running towards the cockpit. "Waxer, get on the guns, just in case. Snap, keep an eye on the scanners."  
"Yes, sir!" Both clones rushed to obey.

"Approaching the courtyard. Starting landing sequence."

Cody peered over Oddball's shoulder at the approaching turrets. "Is the code still transmitting?"

"Yes, sir. It seems to be working."

"Sir!" exclaimed Waxer. "Permission to blast Grievous' ship?"

It was tempting, Cody had to admit. _Highly_ tempting. "Not yet," he said. "We can't let them know we're here till the generals give the word."

". . . Yes, sir."

Boil, standing next to Waxer, gave him a sympathetic look.

_"Cody,"_ General Kenobi's voice said. _"What's your status?"_

"Landing now, sir."

_"Be extremely careful! Ventress is expecting us. We're on our way to you."_

"Yes, sir." Cody lowered his wrist slowly, staring at the turrets just below them. "Sir, if the alarms get triggered, those guns are going to be a problem."

_"Don't worry,"_ General Skywalker's voice cut in. _"They're automated turrets. I'll cause a distraction and get them to focus on me. You and your men spread out and take them down."_

"General Skywalker's planning a distraction," said Cody as Oddball landed. And when Skywalker said 'distraction', he usually meant 'explosion'. Cody thought for a moment. "Better keep the shields up. No one stays on this ship."

He went back the hold. "Rex, we've got eight supers in the courtyard and ten heavy turrets to destroy."

The captain stepped forward. "Jesse, Boomer, Fives, Echo. You're with me. The rest of you get to the wall and take out those supers."

Cody nodded. "Ghost, Switch, get to the castle doors and stay alert. Waxer, Boil, with me. Snap, take the rest of the men and help out the Five-Oh-First."

* * *

"Anakin, I'm at the door," said Obi-Wan. "Where are you?"

_"Across from the _Twilight_."_

Well, that was informative. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, visualizing the courtyard. If the _Twilight _had landed right away when it crossed the wall, Anakin would be . . .

He opened his eyes. "Please tell me you're not near the fuel tanks."

_"Not – anymore,"_ he panted. There was an enormous explosion, and the ground shook.

Obi-Wan slapped the release switch and charged into the courtyard. "Anakin!"

A sudden pulse in the Force warned him a split second before a heavy laser slammed into the ground in front of him, spraying plumes of sand in all directions. He flung himself to one side, igniting his lightsaber to block the next attack. "Cody! Get the turrets!"

Chaos erupted all around him, a surge of blaster fire and explosions and metallic clanking. Gathering the Force around him, Obi-Wan leaped to the top of the _Twilight_, and from there to the nearest turret, stabbing into it with all his strength. His lightsaber left glowing trails of molten metal behind as he yanked it out again.

A small group of 501st clones sprinted through the turrets' erratic field of fire and gathered at the base of the one next to Obi-Wan. "Rex!" he shouted. "I trust you brought grenades!"

"Yes, sir!" replied the captain, locating him immediately. "Want them up there?"

"That would be good." Obi-Wan ducked a poorly aimed laser from a super droid.

"Is ten seconds enough?" Rex called.

"It has to be! It's the only timer on those thermals!"  
The soldiers armed their grenades and flung them straight up into the air. Shutting off his saber, Obi-Wan caught the grenades in a Force-grip, gently hovering one of them between every two turrets, regardless of which ones were destroyed already and which ones weren't.

The instant the last grenade was in position, Obi-Wan made sure he had them in a firm Force-grip and flung himself off the top of his turret, somersaulting to a halt right next to Cody.

Before his commander could speak, Obi-Wan grabbed his arm and jerked him towards the relative cover of the pillar. Half an instant later, the grenades went off with an explosion of shrapnel and noise, showering everyone with metallic bits.

Obi-Wan stood, brushing off his shoulders. "Well, they know we're here now."

"That was useful," said Fives, sounding highly impressed by the rapid destruction of the turrets.

"Yeah." Rex holstered his pistols and glanced at the twisted remains of the fuel tanks. "Kix, report. Anyone injured?"

"Not a scratch," the medic replied, jogging over to them. "General Skywalker took out the rest of the droids."

"Sir," said Cody suddenly. "Grievous' ship is gone."

"It looks like it was moved remotely," Oddball reported. "No one went near it."

"Come on!" shouted Anakin, running over before Obi-Wan could reply. "We've got to get inside before they find us!"

The men followed him, Obi-Wan bringing up the rear as they rushed for the opening he had cut into the storage building earlier. This was going better than he'd expected, although it was strange that neither Grievous nor Ventress had left the castle yet. Strange, and worrisome.

One by one, they ducked through the rough opening and to either side, flattening themselves against the wall. The two Jedi lifted the stone section that had been removed and replaced it, and the men dragged crates and boxes to pile in front of it.

With the barricade built, the clones spread out, silently scouting the remainder of the room. As soon as they were certain it was secure, they returned, standing at attention around the Jedi.

"What's the plan, General?" Rex asked.

"Good question," Anakin replied cheerfully, turning to Obi-Wan. "Master, I could always take my men and cause a distraction."

"To what _end_, Anakin? No. We need to formulate a plan. Ventress must know we're here by now."

"Yeah," he agreed. "And didn't you say something about Grievous heading for the basement?"

Obi-Wan frowned, tugging gently at his beard. "What we need to do is figure out a way to keep them from helping each other."

Cody stirred. "How many entrances does the basement have? Is it possible that we could barricade Grievous in it?"

"Maybe," said Anakin, leaning against the wall. "Trouble is, we don't know anything about this place – except for where the shield generator is." He smirked. "Was."

"And where the throne room is," said Obi-Wan. "But that doesn't help us. What we need is data."

The 501st sergeant, Boomer, snapped his rifle into ready position. "Just tell us where to go, sir."

Anakin suddenly turned to face the metal door across from him. "Master, I don't know about you, but I sense something dark approaching. . . It doesn't feel like Ventress."

Rex gestured. "Det, Flash, wire the door!"

"Right away, sir!" Two of the clones rushed to obey, while Jesse and Boomer covered them.

The two Jedi ran for the far corner of the room and began feeling along it. "We'll cut our way into the hall as soon as the explosives are triggered," Anakin called. "Stay alert!"

Cody signaled for the men to split into two groups and flank the Jedi, while he activated all his scanners. "Sir!" he called, his eyes flicking back and forth between the various displays as they popped up on his datapad. "We've got droids inbound. Two lifeforms standing outside the door. The hall outside goes in two directions only. No rooms leading off them, as far as I can tell."

"All right," his general replied. "If I remember correctly, we can get to the throne room by heading to the right. It seems all we can do at the moment is lead Ventress around and hope to outmaneuver her."

General Skywalker ignited his lightsaber. "You know, we could always _attack _her."

Flash and Det jogged back to the main group. "We've got a delay set on the trap, sirs," said Flash. "Should take out a lot of clankers."

Just as General Skywalker opened his mouth to reply, the door hissed open.

"Take cover!" shouted one of the clones, diving behind a pile of crates.

Cody ducked next to Wooley, readying his blaster. Four seconds later, a loud explosion shook the floor, and a battle droid's head sailed over them to hit the far wall with a desolate _clang._

The clones fired through the destroyed doorway, the focused lasers cutting down the remainder of the droids easily. The two supers that appeared only got off a couple of shots each before falling.

"That was _way_ too easy," Fives said, his voice suspicious.

Cody ran a short-range scan, then peered cautiously outside. "Those lifeforms are gone, but they weren't killed."

"Hm," said Rex. "They probably went to get reinforcements."

Trap knelt next to Cody, trying to see down the hall without actually putting his head through the door. "It's possible they wired the door on their side."

"Which is why we're not going through it," said Anakin. He and Obi-Wan stabbed their lightsabers into the stone, cutting in opposite directions as they carved out a wide circle. Without waiting for the molten rock to cool, Anakin ducked into the hall. "Okay, guys, let's move out."

Rex followed, facing in the opposite direction with both pistols raised as the other troopers filed out.

The red sandstone that formed the walls reflected light dully, making the corridors dim despite the glowpanels set in the ceiling. The castle itself was utterly quiet, apart from the faint clicking of their boots against the stone. Cody would have thought that the whole place was devoid of life, and had been for a long time, except that one of the computer terminals they passed was still logged in.

He cast a quick glance back, but there was nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

Jesse peered through a half-open doorway, looking confused. "If this is a castle, where are all the people?"

"It's _Ventress'_ castle," Kix joked. "Who would want to work for her?"

Rex half-turned, glancing over one shoulder at them. "_I_ want to know where those two lifeforms disappeared to."

"There's the throne room," interrupted Snap in his blunt voice. "Maybe they're waiting for us."

Anakin leapt forward, covering a ridiculous amount of space with that one motion, and landed right outside the throne room door. "No one here."

He opened the door and strolled in. The others were forced to break into a run to catch up with him.

Cody found himself beside General Kenobi, who spoke without turning his head. "I don't like this. Whenever one is dealing with Ventress, and cannot locate her, it is only proof that she is setting a trap somewhere."

"This feels like Tibrin, sir," said Cody. His nerves were on edge, which was unusual enough in itself to make him even more nervous. He drew a quiet breath, held it for a few seconds, and exhaled slowly.

The general looked at him, realization dawning on his features. "Tibrin. Anakin, do you think – Anakin, don't touch that!"

Across the long hall, General Skywalker glanced up, one hand resting on the huge red throne.

A shrill beeping from the throne rang through the room, and Cody caught the shortest glimpse of General Skywalker diving as far away as he could before the throne vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Before the thumping of stone hitting stone had ceased, Kix was sprinting across the room, the red medic insignia on his shoulder flashing through the dust-filled air. "General Skywalker!"

"I'm _fine_, Kix." General Skywalker sat up, his black clothes covered in a pale, reddish powder. He sounded more disgusted than anything else.

General Kenobi seemed to feel the same way. "_Anakin," _he sighed.

"What?! How was I supposed to know she'd booby trap her own throne?"

"You could have sensed it, like I did," he suggested. "Well, this is the most defensible room we've discovered so far. Let's try to lure her in."

Cody glanced around the large room. Various chairs and tables were scattered throughout. If worst came to worst, they could feasibly be used as makeshift weapons, but they were too delicate to provide any real protection. The center of the room, however, was lined with thin but conveniently sturdy-looking pillars. Just behind what remained of the throne stood a half-wall, several feet in width.

"Rex," Cody said, pointing to the pillars. "Get your men to cover. Ghost Company will provide support."

"Got it. Torrent Company, on me!"

Cody turned to his men. "Longshot! Ghost! Get up to that platform behind the throne. Wooley, take three men and take up position near the main door. The rest of you take the other side."

Within seconds, the clones were in position and waiting for whatever might come their way. The two Jedi were speaking quietly nearby, General Skywalker with his arms folded in an attitude of mild annoyance. The rest of the men looked tense, standing with their weapons pointed directly at the door.

"At ease," Cody called. "The generals will tell us when the attack is coming."

He activated his scanners again all the same, checking once again for the mysterious lifeforms. The generals had barely sensed the last attack in time, and it was best to be prepared. If he could help it, there wouldn't be any more surprises on this mission.

Obi-Wan joined Anakin, who was watching Cody fiddle with his scanners. "Do you remember the trap Ventress set on Tibrin?"

Anakin looked at him pointedly. "Uh, which _one_? The mines on the reefs, the sabotaged cruiser, the droideka ambush, or the staged mob fight?"

"It wasn't staged." Obi-Wan shook his head, frowning. "Those reefs were full of people who hated Jedi."

"And you think the same thing will happen here?" Anakin's tone was serious. They had lost fourteen men to that attack, and the rest of the clones had fired into the crowd, killing the shooters, but stirring up the riot even more. By the time they'd gotten off the planet, the citizens, as well as the Ishi Tib soldiers, had been attacking them.

"Perhaps." He shook off his worry and cleared his mind, attempting to locate Ventress' Force-presence. When he had no success, he turned to Anakin. "Of course, the sooner we catch Ventress, the sooner we can leave. Why don't you go out and see if you can lure her back here?"

The young Knight flipped his lightsaber, caught it, and strode to the door, gesturing to his captain. "Come on, Rex, we're going to get Ventress' attention."

Rex fell in immediately. "So, General. If this is the trap, I take it we're the bait?"

Anakin gave him a smirk. "Someone's got to do it."

He hit the release on the door just as Cody, who had been watching his datapad, yelled, "General!"

Anakin and Rex turned to stare at him. The door sprang open behind them, and a lithe figure in black leapt into the room and gathered the Force in a sudden push that knocked them sprawling. Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber and leaped forward.

"Get back!" he shouted to the men. "She's a Nightsister!"

With unearthly swiftness, the grey-skinned woman ducked and side-stepped, avoiding his strikes. She jumped up and back, landing behind a startled trooper, and caught his arm in one hand, jerking it behind his back as she placed her forearm across his throat.

"Det!" Jesse called, taking a step forward.

"I only want to talk." The Nightsister's throaty voice carried through the room. "Tell your men to back away, Jedi."

Obi-Wan glanced at Cody and nodded. The rest of the men took a couple of steps back, their weapons lowered.

"That's better." Her voice was a little higher than Ventress', but possessed the same arrogant drawl. "Now, Jedi. You will surrender."

Det jerked forward and she tightened her grip, forcing him to his knees with unnatural strength. Her ice-blue eyes fastened on Obi-Wan, confidently waiting.

"Tell me," he replied, gesturing casually with his free hand. "Where is Ventress? I expected her by now."

"The mistress is occupied with more important matters."

"And here I thought we'd be able to speak with her again. How disappointing." He fastened his lightsaber to his belt and put his hands behind his back in a casual stance.

Anakin caught on quickly and stepped carefully away from Obi-Wan, dividing her attention. "You think you can take on all of us, witch? Two Jedi and twenty soldiers?"

"I only need a few." She gestured casually, and Det choked, one hand clutching uselessly at his throat. "I can kill you all where you stand."

_Oh, dear. _Obi-Wan glanced around as, across the room, Namer and Jesse started coughing and gagging. Anakin took a threatening step forward, and several of the clones half-reached for their weapons.

Obi-Wan felt his commander looking at him, and he signaled quickly. _Retreat, destroy, cover. _Reaching out with the Force, he touched their adversary's mind with as strong a thought as he could muster. _The Jedi have surrendered. _

She lowered her hand, loosening her grip on the prisoner at the same time. Anakin grabbed Det in a Force-grip of his own and jerked him across the room to crash into Fives and Echo. The three of them went down in a heap.

"Obi-Wan!" shouted Anakin, lunging forward. "Get to Ventress. I'll handle this one!"

The men were already in motion. Echo hauled Det up and ran for the door. Fives hung back, eager for the fight, until Rex shouted at him to get moving. Longshot and Ghost scrambled down from their platform, covering Waxer and Boil as they ran the length of the hall, flinging small detonators at the pillars.

"General Skywalker!" shouted Cody. "Signal us when you're ready!"

Anakin jumped back to avoid being slashed by the assassin's knives, and Rex fired a few shots in her direction. They didn't do much good, since Rex was trying to avoid hitting Anakin at the same time.

Obi-Wan stopped just outside the door and shut his eyes. He needed to locate Ventress. . . As he lowered his mental shields, he caught a swift sense of surprise from her. She was moving towards him. _Good_.

"Cody," he said. "I'm going to find Ventress. You go with Anakin and barricade Grievous in the basement. Try not to engage him directly."

"Will do, General. Here. You'd better take this."

Obi-Wan took the linked detonator, an idea entering his mind. "Hmm." He leaned back into the room and shouted, "Anakin! New plan!"

"I'm – kind of – busy!"

Anakin seemed hard-pressed to keep up with the assassin. She was a whirlwind of motion, flipping and twisting every which way as she attacked with one swift strike after another.

Obi-Wan raised his voice slightly. "Well, you might want to move. I'm detonating the explosives."

Anakin gasped out something that was probably a curse. Breaking away from his opponent he jumped, landed with one foot against a pillar, and launched himself into the air. When he was halfway to the door, Obi-Wan pressed the detonator.

The pillars, their bases blown into rubble, twisted free of the ceiling and crashed to the floor. Anakin landed hard, rolling over several times as the doorway behind him disintegrated. Everyone stumbled at a secondary explosion, and Obi-Wan smirked in spite of himself. Another one of Ventress' traps must have been triggered – and not in her favor, from the sound of it.

At last, the booming and thumping faded into reluctant silence, and Flash helped Anakin to his feet.

The young Jedi caught his breath, glaring at Obi-Wan. "You could have given me a little warning, you know," he said accusingly.

"I did," Obi-Wan said, not really paying attention. "Anakin, go with the men. I'll handle Ventress."

He watched the rest of the group leave, then hooked his lightsaber to his belt and touched the wall nearest him, every tremor of the castle magnified and analyzed through the Force. The ceiling of the throne room had partially collapsed, but the adjoining walls still stood firm.

Obi-Wan leaned his shoulders against the cool stone and waited. This mission was not going well, and he wasn't optimistic about his ability to capture Ventress by himself. Kill her, perhaps, but not capture her. He'd need Anakin for that, but he wasn't about to send his men against Grievous without a Jedi.

All he could do now was trust in the Force and hope for the best.

* * *

The only sounds in the long hallway were the quiet clacking of armored boots and the almost inaudible hum of the pale lights overhead. It had been one standard hour since the team had reached Vassek III, and they still hadn't come across any enemies. Delta Thirty-Eight paused mid-step, turning to look over one shoulder. There had never been a mission where the team had gone unchallenged for this long, and he was getting a little on edge.

If he was on edge, Scorch was practically vibrating with nerves. Boss watched as the younger commando released the ammo pack from his gun, looked at it, and reloaded it for the fourth time in the past minute.

Sev, who stood next to Scorch, elbowed him hard. "Cut it out," he muttered. "You can't shoot if it's unloaded."

"It's just . . . it's weird," Scorch replied, gesturing around with his weapon. "This whole place is weird. Did you see those statues?"

Fixer ducked slightly as Scorch's gun pointed at his head. "Watch it, Six-Two!"

Scorch snapped back to ready position. "You can't tell me this isn't making even _you _nervous, Fixer."

Sev tilted his head, looking almost contemplative. "Any idea who those statues were of?"

"Who, or what?" murmured General Fisto.

Boss considered the image of Grievous he'd seen in the database. He certainly looked like a droid.

"General Grievous was a famed Kalee warrior," Fisto said. "Those statues were of him in his younger days . . . before he became a cyborg and joined the Separatists."

"Huh," said Scorch. "He was even uglier back then."

Boss agreed.

General Fisto continued talking as they neared the end of the hall. "He is a clever warrior still, but single-minded. When he has some goal or desire fixed in his mind, he focuses only on that until he succeeds. Count Dooku can manipulate him sometimes, and when he can, the general is very useful to him." He glanced down the next hallway once before stepping into it. "But when the Count angers him – as he did during my last mission here – Grievous can become a great liability, both to the Separatists and to himself."

Boss wondered if the Republic could manage to exploit this fact in the near future.

_"Delta Lead,"_ said Advisor's voice in his ear. _"Go to the end of the corridor and turn right. There will be a large pillar directly in front of you. That should be the last place on this level to wire."_

"Roger that," he replied. "Are you picking up any activity yet?"

_"No, but the central room of this level is locked down."_

"We can look into it once we're done here. General?"  
"A good idea," he said. "I suspect that's the room containing Grievous' replacement parts. We mustn't leave them – undamaged."

Scorch snickered.

They reached the pillar a moment later, and Sev and Scorch knelt on either side of it to place the explosives.

Fixer dropped back to join Boss. "I don't like this," he said under his breath. "It's been too long. There should be _something._"

Although he'd been thinking the same thing, Boss gave him a casual nod. "Don't worry. We'll be ready when it comes."

Four-Oh shook his head slightly. "Yes, sir."

As he moved back to his position, Boss turned on his scanners, even though he knew it was pointless – Advisor, with access to the whole fortress, would pick up trouble long before his own equipment could. But the general had said that there was danger here, and Thirty-Eight, despite his words to Fixer, was sure that something was wrong. The situation had all the makings of a trap.

"We're good here," said Scorch, getting to his feet.

"Excellent," said General Fisto. "Now we only have to wire two more levels."

_Only two more levels_, Boss thought. _Two completely unexplored levels. There could be anything there. _Aloud he said, "Let's hope Grievous left us some droids to fight."


	9. Chapter 9

Cody waited with his men while General Skywalker, his eyes closed, knelt in the center of the small anteroom. Outside was a hall containing two archways that opened onto staircases. As far as the clones been able to find out, with the basic schematics available through the public computer terminal nearby, the two staircases were the only entrances to the basement.

Destroy the stairs, and hopefully Grievous would be trapped until the Jedi were back together and able to take him on. Cody wondered why they didn't just bring the ceiling down on the Separatist cyborg. Maybe the Republic wanted him alive.

The clones had positioned every explosive they had left, including grenades. All that remained now was for General Skywalker to give the word.

Just then the Jedi shifted and opened his blue eyes with a faraway look.

"What's going on?" muttered Boil.

Waxer shifted. "I dunno. General said he _sensed_ something."

"Yeah, but what?" Namer, one of the 501st veterans, checked the outside hall for the third time.

"Doesn't matter, I guess," Jesse shrugged. "As long as it's not another one of those witches." He shuddered and put a hand to his throat.

General Skywalker sprang to his feet, drawing and activating his lightsaber with a flick of his wrist. He sent a wry smile in the clones' direction. "Funny you should say that, Jesse. She's getting closer."

Jesse muttered something that sounded like a Huttese curse. According to Rex, the general had a lot of useful words in his vocabulary that the troopers picked up with surprising speed. Cody himself had never heard a Jedi speaking in an . . . _unrestrained _manner before, but he could more easily see General Skywalker losing his temper than any other Jedi he'd worked with.

General Kenobi, for example, spoke in a cultured tone, all the time, no matter what the circumstances: he even insulted and taunted enemies in a refined manner. General Koon never spoke excitedly or even quickly, and as for General Windu – he never looked angry, or happy, or anything besides dead serious. General Fisto, with his odd and frequent smile, came to mind, and Cody wondered briefly how the mission to Grievous' fortress was going.

Anakin swung his glowing weapon and grinned. "Cody, let's see how well your men wired those stairs."  
"Yes, sir." Cody gestured to Wooley, who pressed the detonator with an obvious sense of satisfaction.

The explosion, mostly contained after the first flash of light and sound by the fall of debris and dust, was anticlimactic. The results were not. Cody and Gadget left the small room and checked the nearest staircase to find that it was full to the top with fallen masonry and huge blocks of stone.

With a nod of approval, Cody turned to Rex, who stood at the opposite end of the corridor with Det beside him. "How's it looking?"

Rex considered the former staircase. "Destroyed," he decided.

"Good work. Better get back here – the general said something about another bog witch nearby."

"Another one?" Rex headed towards the others, both pistols drawn. "I don't know about you, Commander, but to me, something about this whole mission feels off."

"Yeah." Cody watched Gadget as the younger clone fiddled with the small scanner he carried around everywhere. "What've you got, Gadget?"

"I'm picking up a lot of electronic signatures from the basement. . . several squads of droids, I think."

A hand landed on Cody's shoulder, and he turned. General Skywalker stood behind him, peering at Gadget's scanner with a smug smile across his face. "Grievous won't blast himself out of this one," he said. "And he can't cut his way through the wall unless he finds something really tall to stand on. Well, that takes care of our part of the mission. Now, to find Obi-Wan."  
Cody felt as though he were several steps behind the general, and falling farther behind all the time. "Sir," he said. "Shouldn't we guard the entrances, in case Grievous gets through?"

"He won't," the Jedi declared confidently. "Not through here, anyway."

Automatically, the commander listed the current mission objectives in his mind: trap Grievous, capture Grievous, capture Ventress, kill or capture the remaining Dathomirian witch, get back to the _Twilight _. . .

A sudden flash of brilliant blue made him jerk to the side as General Skywalker raced forward, his lightsaber blade missing Cody's neck by a calculated inch. The Jedi dodged around Rex and Det as a shadow dropped from the ceiling of the high-vaulted corridor behind them.

The men reacted instantly, pulling back and spreading out, ready to provide the Jedi with cover fire should the opportunity present itself. It was hard to keep track of the enemy, though; a shadowy mist seemed to surround her so that she looked like a blur, and Cody found himself blinking hard every few seconds in an attempt to keep his eyes focused.

"Keep the general covered," he ordered, lifting his rifle. "Fire the second you have a clear shot."

Not that they'd _get _a clear shot. In all the missions during which the 501st and the 212th had worked together, Cody had never seen the younger general pull back from a fight without significant arguing from his former master – or from Commander Tano, come to think of it. He shifted his aim, shaking his head slightly to clear his vision. No, even though it would be much quicker to let the clones distract her or shoot her, it wasn't likely that General Skywalker would break away from the fight.

Still, as General Kenobi often said, "One can always hope."

_Of course_, he reflected, _the last time the general said that, he was talking about Dooku willfully surrendering his entire army . . . _General Kenobi was a good man, and a good general, but he was not always practical.

* * *

Ventress' trademark presence in the Force – resentful, bitter, and yet somehow slightly amused – manifested itself an instant before she appeared in front of Obi-Wan, her dark cloak trailing behind her.

"Obi-Wan," she purred, hands resting on the curved hilts of her sabers. "I might have known it would be you."

"Ventress," he replied, moving into the first stance of Soresu. "How pleasant to see you again."

"Don't make a fool of yourself, Kenobi." She sauntered towards him, drawing her weapons and activating them. "You and I both know that we detest each other."

"My apologies for the disagreement, but it is not the Jedi way to 'detest' anyone."

She stared up at him, her pale blue eyes gleaming in the glow of her crossed red sabers for an instant before she struck. "I suppose it's good that I am not a Jedi."

"How true _that _is." He blocked one blade, jumped over the second, and forced her toward the wall with a rapid sequence of blows. "Anyone who possesses your unique level of emotional and moral instability could never be a Jedi."

"Which is why your self-righteous Council sent you to kill me."

"Actually, I intended to capture you. Would you consider surrendering?"

She let out a sharp cackle of laughter.

Even as he retorted, Obi-Wan knew something was wrong. He had encountered Ventress often enough that he knew her fighting style, the way she flung herself recklessly into battle after battle. Now, however, she was holding back, toying with him, intentionally keeping him occupied.

_Why? So that Grievous can deal with the others easily? Or does she have a different plan? _A worrying thought struck him then. _Is Grievous even _in _the basement?_

He dodged an instant too late and winced at the sharp kick to the knee that he received. Leaping back to give himself some space, he activated his comm. "Anakin?"

"Your little pet won't be coming to help you," Ventress sneered, bringing one blade dangerously close to his face. "You're all mine, Obi-Wan."

He stepped back again, ignoring her taunt. "Anakin, Cody, if you can hear me, get back to the ship!"

Ventress laughed, and he lowered his wrist, lifting his blade as she rushed at him again. Hopefully, Anakin would escape whatever trap Dooku's apprentice had set, but either way, Obi-Wan knew he had done all he could.

Anakin would have to deal with the trap on his own, and Obi-Wan would have to try and bring Ventress to justice on his own.

_Marvelous._

* * *

Things were not going well. From what Cody could see, through the unnatural, smoky mist, General Skywalker's skillful fighting was barely a match for the assassin's whip-like use of her two knives. She fought with a speed and a level of gymnastic ability that Cody had only ever seen Jedi use – and those not very often.

As the general stepped back, giving way to the witch's vicious attacks, Cody focused his aim. Letting out his breath, he squeezed the trigger, sending a quick salvo at her. She twisted and somersaulted, avoiding all five shots.

_"Anakin, Cody, if you can hear me, get back to the ship!"_ General Kenobi's voice sounded faintly through the comms.

Cody watched as General Skywalker, either unhearing or uncaring of the order, rushed back into the fight without the slightest pause.

He fired once more and spun on his heel. "Back to the ship, men! General Kenobi's orders!"

Most of the men jumped to obey, but some of the troopers – noticeably those from the 501st – seemed to hesitate. Cody gestured sharply. "_Move _it, soldiers!"

Much as he sympathized with their distaste for leaving a fight, orders were orders, and the troopers were all but useless here. He kept track of the men as they ran past him, until he and Rex were at the back of the line.

There was a sharp cry from General Skywalker, and the two officers spun around.

Anakin was clutching at his left arm, but he saw the clones' looks and waved angrily for them to go. "I'm fine!"

As if to prove his point, he lunged forward, his lightsaber shearing through one of the witch's knife-handles. Simultaneously, he lifted one hand, flinging her back with the power of the Force. She struck the wall hard and crumpled to the floor, the mist seeming to fall with her so that it pooled on the floor in little tendrils.

Behind Cody, a flurry of blastershots sounded from both Republic and Separatist weapons.

"Droids!" someone shouted.

Cody's first impulse was to run toward the battle, but his second was to watch the scene in front of him; then he found he couldn't look away. Rex was half-turned in the direction of the new battle, but he had both his weapons pointed at the fallen witch.

_Strange_, thought Cody blankly. _What . . ._

The general strode toward the crumpled figure of his adversary, his lightsaber humming as he pointed it at her head. "Surrender," he demanded.

More laser fire from behind them. A shout of pain.

_"Commander!"_ shouted someone – Snap, he thought. His voice crackled through the helmet's speakers. _"Grievous is heading for the courtyard! _Commander!_"_

_No, Grievous is supposed to be trapped in the basement. _Cody wondered briefly why he hadn't answered Snap, then if he _had _answered Snap.

There was a clatter as Rex dropped his guns. Cody felt a moment of mild surprise before his own weapon fell to the ground, his hands loosening without his consent.

The shooting behind him fell silent. He knew by the sound of the laser fire that his brothers had won. _Good, _he thought vaguely.

The black-clothed witch got slowly to her feet, her pale eyes flashing amidst the shadows. "You win . . . _Jedi_," she said, turning her knife hilt-outward and lifting it slowly towards him.

General Skywalker stared at her. He seemed mesmerized like the clones were, although he did not lower his lightsaber. He reached slowly for the knife.

As his fingers neared the hilt, the witch plunged the blade into her own chest.

Cody jerked in reaction. The mist swooped up, gathered around the still-upright witch, and rushed against the general, sending him stumbling back. The Dathomirian slumped to the ground, and the shadows vanished.

It felt as though a hand had loosened from around Cody's mind. He snatched up his weapon and ran toward General Skywalker, who was lying motionless. Even as he moved, he was finally registering what Snap had told him – Grievous was in the courtyard. Which meant he had access to the _Twilight. _

"Troopers!" he shouted into his comm. "Hold your position!"

Rex skidded to his knees, grabbing one of General Skywalker's arms and pulling it around his shoulders before leaning down to snatch the fallen lightsaber. Cody got on the general's other side, and they ran down the hall toward the rest of the men.

"What was _that?" _Rex demanded.

Cody shook his head. "No idea, but we've got other problems right now. Snap! Are you sure about Grievous?"

_"Yes, sir. He didn't engage us, just ran for the main entrance."_

"Any casualties?"

_"No, sir."_

Cody and Rex turned the corner and nearly ran into the rest of the clones, who had taken cover against either wall.

Rex stopped short. "Kix, get over here."

"Right here, sir." The medic ran over, pulling off his helmet. "What happened?"

"Some sort of energy, I think," said Cody, quite sure that this was not in the least helpful. He transferred General Skywalker's left arm, which was bleeding badly now, to Kix and tapped his comm. "General Kenobi, do you read me?"

_"Yes, Cody. What's the situation?"_

"General Skywalker's been injured and Grievous is in the courtyard."

There was a moment of silence. _"I take it he wasn't in the basement, then."_

"No, sir. His droids were, though. He must have left them there as a decoy." And that decoy had worked far better than it should have. Cody shook his head. He'd made an idiotic mistake in not trying to ascertain whether Grievous truly was in the basement or not.

_"I see," _General Kenobi said. _"I'll be right there."_

Cody turned to look over his men. They seemed fine, with the exception of Longshot, who was sitting cross-legged while Waxer patched up a laser burn that had gone through his left hand.

From the looks of things, only a few droids had attacked. He couldn't imagine why Grievous hadn't run down the men while he had the chance – with no Jedi there, the cyborg could easily have killed them. It would have been a delay of only seconds for Grievous, which must mean that whatever he had been hurrying to do had been more important. _Not_ that Cody was complaining.

He knelt beside Longshot, placing a hand on his shoulder. "All right there, Longshot?"

"Yes, sir." Longshot shifted as Waxer sealed a bacta patch over either side of the injury. He tapped his weapon with his free hand. "They didn't hit my gun hand. Too bad – for them."

"All set," Waxer announced cheerfully, reattaching the other's gauntlet. "Kix can take a look at it when he's through with the general."

"Nah, this is fine."

"_I'll_ be the judge of that," said Kix, not looking up from where he was working on General Skywalker's arm.

"Come on," joked Trap, who had taken off his helmet, revealing the distinct, raised scar of a burn on his left cheek. The scar was mirrored on the opposite cheek by a blue tattooed line. "We've all been trained in battlefield care. You medics aren't the only ones who know how to patch up injuries."

Kix looked up slowly. "We're the only ones who can do it _properly_."

Jesse clapped the medic on the shoulder with a grin. "Don't worry about him," he told the somewhat confused 212th troopers. "He takes his duties . . . seriously."

"So should you," said Rex, descending from out of nowhere. "We're in enemy territory, not the barracks! Check your weapons and prepare to move out!"

Everyone scrambled to obey, or at least to look busy – Cody had observed that most of them had already reloaded their guns, and he knew Rex knew it, too. He smirked at the captain as he removed his helmet, but his smile faded when he caught sight of General Skywalker, still lying prone on the ground.

Grievous had escaped the trap, if not the planet, and it didn't sound as though General Kenobi had been successful with Ventress. Rex's gaze followed his, and then the two commanding officers glanced at each other with the same thought reflecting from their eyes: this mission was not going well.


	10. Chapter 10

Delta Thirty-Eight activated his HUD scanner, checking over the large room once more. Breach charges had been placed at intervals around the entire perimeter, enough to blow every one of Grievous' replacement parts into useless pieces of shrapnel. Scorch had wanted to use the 'big' explosives, but Boss had reminded him that they wanted the building to remain standing until they left.

Fixer knelt near the door, linking the final charge to a timer. Boss turned to look at the central pillar, and at the face masks that lined it from floor to ceiling. The empty sockets of the masks stared hatefully back at him.

_Grievous._ Head of the clanker armies, proclaimed Jedi-killer, and the direct cause of deaths of nine commandos and countless troopers. For a brief moment, Boss found himself wishing that the cyborg had remained on Vassek III. He flipped his pistol in his right hand and aimed it between the mask's soulless eyes for a moment, then holstered it.

He'd save his shots for when he actually met Grievous.

Turning away, he checked on the others' positions. "Did you find the entrance to the lower levels?"

"Over here!" called General Fisto, coming into view around a storage rack. He tapped his lightsaber hilt. "It doesn't matter if we damage the lift; I'll cut our way through after."

Boss nodded. "Take cover, commandos!"

They left the room, Sev remaining behind for a moment to start the countdown before he ran out to join them.

Scorch leaned forward, presumably to see better, but Fixer hauled him back to the cover of the wall. "Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?"

The explosion was not particularly loud, but it was still loud enough to cover up Scorch's grumbled response.

Advisor's voice cut in._ "Those energy readings were high. You think you used enough charges?" _

Sev, at the room's entrance, leaned forward and prodded a twisted metallic limb with his gun. "Yes, sir. Grievous won't be using any of this."

"Good to hear," said General Fisto. "Is it safe to move into the room?"

_"Just don't walk on any superheated metal,"_ Advisor answered obviously. _"Delta Lead, if you give me access to your HUD feeds, I might be able to get clearer readings on the lower levels."_

"Go ahead," Boss said, transferring viewer access to Advisor's code. "You have a secure channel?"

_"Locked down. . ."_

His voice sounded preoccupied. Boss raised an eyebrow behind his helmet and asked, "Anything _particular _down there you've noticed?"

_"Ray shields – they're blocking two chambers you might have to enter."_

Boss held up his left fist. "Let's have a look at it," he ordered, as the other commandos gathered nearby.

Fixer pulled the datapad from his pack and flicked the screen on. The schematic of the second level appeared, two consecutive areas marked out in red.

_"I can't tell what's _in_ the rooms," _Advisor explained, sounding a little exasperated with his lack of knowledge. _"The shields are over the ceiling, floors, and all four walls of both rooms."_

The general leaned closer, the screen's light reflecting in his large eyes. "Can the rooms be accessed through each other?"

_"I can't tell for sure, sir."_

Scorch pulled off his helmet for a better look, took the datapad from Fixer, and zoomed out, staring at the full schematic. "We don't have to enter them," he said confidently. "We'll just plant extra explosives under them on the lowest level. Don't worry, they'll be as destroyed as everything else."

Boss knew that demolitions commandos were given highly detailed training, but Scorch sure seemed to be guessing a lot. Then again, he was one of the best.

"I wonder," said General Fisto musingly, and closed his eyes. "I sense that something dangerous is in those rooms. . ."

"What kind of something?" asked Sev, tilting his rifle and peering absently down its length. "Tripwires, or something we can kill?"

Fixer shifted. "A ray shield wouldn't be used to contain droids."

"You are correct." General Fisto frowned, his forehead creasing. "The last time we were here, we encountered a roggwart."

"That was on this level?" Boss checked.

"Yes. It was in the third room you wired. . . I presume Grievous had his droids dispose of the corpse." He seemed troubled, and Boss remembered that another Jedi Knight – the general's former padawan, Fixer had called him – had died here. Whatever Grievous did with dead enemies, Boss was sure he didn't give them any sort of burial.

_"If Delta Six-Two is right, you shouldn't have to enter those rooms at all,"_ said Advisor. _"I'll keep running scans, just in case. Be careful down there."_

"You got it," said Scorch, hefting his blaster to his shoulder. "Let's go find some droids to kill."


	11. Chapter 11

Obi-Wan checked the hall behind him, almost expecting to hear the hum of lightsabers and to see the red flash of Ventress' blades descending. He thought back to the last moments of his battle with her, still trying to sort out what had happened. She was actually driving him back, and he'd been struggling to keep up with her wild swings and sudden attacks – then, there had been a surge of darkness in the Force, a _snap,_ and Anakin's presence at the edge of his mind had faded.

When he recovered from his instant's hesitation, Ventress was sprinting down the hall, away from him. She'd somehow escaped him, and his fruitless search for her had been interrupted by Cody's call.

The Jedi Master shook his head, attempting to collect his thoughts as he turned into a corridor scattered with droid parts. Stepping over a fallen B1, he followed the trail of destruction until he saw the clones. They jumped to attention as soon as they saw him, and he lifted a hand. Anakin was lying on the ground against one wall, one of the clones kneeling over him.

He hurried towards them, and Cody materialized at his elbow. "General Skywalker's condition is stable, sir," he reported.

"Thank you, Cody. And the men?"

"We didn't lose anyone, sir." He paused. "I take it Ventress escaped?"

"Yes, she did." Obi-Wan tried to smooth the annoyance from his voice, but knew he hadn't succeeded. He knelt beside Anakin, turning to the medic. "It's Kix, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir. General Skywalker's still unconscious, but not from his physical injury. My only guess is that it's Jedi-related." He repressed a faint smile. "Commander Cody described it as 'some sort of energy'."

Cody cleared his throat ever so slightly. "General Skywalker was fighting another Dathomirian. She pretended to surrender, then stabbed herself. There was a burst of energy, or shadows – I've never seen anything like it. I only saw the general had fallen after the shadows cleared."

The commander seemed uncomfortable with his own explanation, probably because he wasn't able to give precise information.

Obi-Wan frowned, stroking his beard with one hand. "She must have been a Dark Acolyte," he said slowly. "And her death caused a release of Force energy. I've read of such things, but never seen it."

He got to his feet and glanced at the men, who were almost vibrating with readiness. There was still a mission to complete. "It seems that the best thing we can do now is get Anakin back to the ship. Let's hope Grievous isn't lying in ambush."

Kix and Jesse picked up Anakin between them.

Obi-Wan hefted his lightsaber. "All right," he said, raising his voice so as to be heard easily. "If we run into trouble, focus on the droids. I'll handle Grievous."

"Sir! Yes, sir!"

They reached the entrance to the castle without any trouble. Several of the clones muttered about the lack of enemies – Ghost claimed it 'didn't make sense', and Obi-Wan had to agree. Every time he'd run across Ventress in the past, he'd had to deal with ambush after ambush. She certainly wasn't going to let them walk out of here.

Or – was she? Maybe she knew they wouldn't leave the planet without attempting to capture her again. Or maybe she planned to wait until they left, then send fighters after them. _Surely_ she knew they had no support on this mission.

They neared the main doors, and Obi-Wan paused. "Stay back. These might be trapped as well."

"Yes, sir." Cody halted beside him, alert as ever. Rex stood at his other side, pistols drawn and held at shoulder level.

Obi-Wan stared at the doors a moment more. If they were wired, this would turn out to be a very short retreat. When he sensed no danger, he straightened and held out one hand, focusing on the large doors. They ground open, dust falling from the tops of the stone slabs, and the clones crowded to either side, surrounding him with the familiar clicking of guns and armor.

The courtyard was empty.

The Jedi Master frowned again, searching the area carefully. Droids were hard to sense; he'd leave that to the clones' scanners, but Grievous –

"Oh," he said. "Grievous is on the ship."

"Sir!" said an eager voice that he recognized as Echo's. "We could shoot the fuel tank and blow up the _Twilight_ with him on it."

Fives elbowed him, casting a wary glance at Anakin's unconscious form. "Do you _really _want to destroy the general's ship?"

Even with his helmet on, Echo managed to look confused. "But if Grievous is on it, now's our chance to get him. General Skywalker can always get another ship."

"You both have a point," Obi-Wan said, wondering, with private amusement, what Anakin would think of Echo's plan. "But I'd rather leave the ship undamaged, if at all possible. We still need a way to get out of here. Cody, are there any droids nearby?"

"Four on scanners, sir, also on the ship."

"They're probably MagnaGuards," Obi-Wan sniffed. "Very well. I'll lure them out."

He checked the area once more, then raced across the gritty sand toward the shuttle. As he neared it, he gathered his strength and jumped to the top of the ship, landing more heavily than was necessary against the reinforced durasteel.

He waited. Grievous would have heard that, and, if he followed his usual unimaginative procedure, would soon send his droids out to investigate. Grievous was predictable. Ventress, however, was dangerously unstable and unpredictable, especially when she was upset. Where had she got to, anyway?

Blasterfire erupted from the main doorway, and Obi-Wan peered over the edge to see two MagnaGuards standing on the _Twilight's_ ramp, looking directly at him. One droid fell to the clones' lasers almost instantly, and the second swiveled its strangely-shaped head in their direction for a moment before leaping to the top of the ship, electrostaff spinning to block the troopers' shots.

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber. The droid might have survived being shot, but it had made a serious miscalculation in leaving itself unprotected from the Jedi. Really, these droids weren't worth the credits they cost. It took him only an instant to slice the droid in half from behind. As it fell, he cut the head off for good measure, since MagnaGuards always continued functioning long after they had any right to.

At his direction, the men positioned themselves across the courtyard, an equal distance from both the castle and the _Twilight. _Anakin was still unresponsive, and Grievous had not appeared. Perhaps the good general had some plan that he and Ventress were coordinating. . . . No, Obi-Wan thought it more likely that Grievous would simply come barging out of the ship and attack the troopers.

With this in mind, Obi-Wan hopped down to the extended wing, where he could watch the boarding ramp more easily. The harsh sun of Rattatak shone down, glinting off the gun at the end of the wing, and a sudden thought made his eyes widen.

The _Twilight's _launch codes were only known by Anakin and a few of the clones, but Grievous might somehow manage to activate the ship's weapons, and if he did – well, Anakin and the troops wouldn't stand a chance against the laser cannons.

"To say nothing of the fact that we need this ship in order to get off-planet," Obi-Wan said aloud, in an irritated voice. He activated his comm as he jumped from the wing to the ramp. "Cody, I'm going to –"

The commander interrupted. "Sir, two droids behind you!"

A sudden sense of danger swirled around him at the same time, and he ignited his lightsaber and jumped back. Grievous barreled out of the ship and rushed past him, shouting something angrily into his own comlink.

Obi-Wan turned to chase him, but he was struck from behind by a burst of electricity that made his eyes blur and his teeth jolt painfully together. He almost lost his balance, but recovered and twisted, blocking the two electrostaffs aimed at his face.

_And, of course, Anakin is still unconscious._

"Grievous!" he shouted, hoping the cyborg would hear him. "I never thought I'd see you run from a battle – Well," he added, with what he knew was an annoying laugh, "At least, not from a battle you hadn't already _lost_."

He leaped, twisted mid-air, drove his lightsaber through one droid's head, and ducked to pick up the crackling staff. "No answer, General? Aren't you feeling well?"

A harsh cough sounded behind him, followed by four consecutive _snap-hisses_ as the Separatist leader activated his lightsabers. "Kenobi," he said harshly. "I have better things to do than to deal with your attack on Dooku's incompetent assassin."

"Then, if I may be so bold, what are you doing here in the first place?" He flipped the electrostaff around to hold off the MagnaGuard and twisted to view Grievous.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The cyborg laughed and jumped forward.

Their lightsabers slammed together with a vibrating hum, and Obi-Wan was just about to make a comment on the maturity, or lack thereof, of Grievous' response when his comm blinked three times – Cody's signal for 'clear'. He broke away from Grievous and jumped high into the air, landing some distance away.

The concentrated fire of twenty rifles landed against the remaining MagnaGuard's chest plate, and it flopped over backwards.

Grievous coughed again.

Obi-Wan moved to meet him with a careless twirl of his blade. "And here I thought you and Ventress were allies," he said, tossing aside the electrostaff. "What's the matter, did you two quarrel again?"

"One day I will kill you," Grievous promised, his two upper lightsabers spinning in a dangerously fast arc as he drew closer.

"So you have said before, and yet you always manage to fail." Despite his casual manner, Obi-Wan was intensely focused on the battle, knowing that something in the general's manner was off. . . Just as Ventress' had been earlier. Grievous was usually quite aggressive – up until the point where he knew he'd lost, of course. It was as though the cyborg was waiting for some signal, and again the thought of a trap came to mind.

There was a flicker of warning, the roar of an engine, and alarmed shouts of "Get down!" and "Take cover!" from the clones. Reacting instinctively, Obi-Wan threw himself into a sideways roll just as something zoomed over his head. The rush of air lifted clouds of sand and dust that sent him into a fit of uncontrollable coughing.

Grievous' starfighter landed, and he staggered upright, still coughing. A loud _clank_ informed him that Grievous had landed next to him just before a metallic foot kicked him hard in the chest, knocking him sprawling.

_This day just keeps getting better_, he groused, skidding across the sand on his back.

Grievous grabbed the side of his fighter and vaulted into it, the cockpit immediately sealing itself in place. Lasers spattered against the transparisteel, but did no damage. The ship lifted off and rotated to face the men.

The clones dove for cover against the wall as Grievous fired at them. A blast struck the ground between two of them, sending them flying in opposite directions, but the droid general did not press his attack. The fighter took off over the castle walls, zooming up and out of sight.

Obi-Wan, still sitting on the ground, clipped his lightsaber to his belt as three clones ran up.

"General, are you all right?" Boil asked, his helmet turning from one side to the other as he kept a sharp lookout on the courtyard.

Obi-Wan waved away Waxer's proffered hand and got up, confused and somewhat annoyed. "Except for the fact that Grievous escaped _again._" Brushing himself off, he started toward the rest of the men.

"Sorry about that, sir," said Det, falling into step. "Too bad we couldn't destroy his fighter earlier."

"Yes, well, never mind that now. I'm just as glad to have him gone." There was a tinge of warning in the Force still – a steady hum in the back of his mind that kept him alert. Something else was going to happen, but not quite yet.

Anakin, who was still slumped between Jesse and Kix, stirred. "What –" he muttered, opening his eyes blearily. He tried to stand, but his legs gave out beneath him.

"Take it easy," Kix said. "You'll be fine, sir."

Anakin blinked, apparently considering this statement. "Ow."

"Well, well, look who decided to wake up," said Obi-Wan. "How are you feeling?"

"The – she," Anakin shook his head and moved his hand from Jesse's shoulder to rub at his head. ". . . What _was _that?"

"A focused attack of dark energy, I expect. Let's get you back to the ship."

"Ship?" Anakin glanced around and his eyes widened. "Uh, what's going on?"

"Grievous has left, and I'm afraid we have to regroup."

Both Wooley and Switch were limping badly by the time they entered the _Twilight_, and Obi-Wan knew that, whatever he planned next, he would be down several men. If Anakin recovered fully within the next few minutes, the two Jedi could go after Ventress again. Otherwise – perhaps it would be best if he tried to complete the mission on his own.

He moved back to the hold, thinking back over his duel with Ventress. She knew something he did not; that was for certain. . . And an uncomfortable nagging at the back of his mind told him that not only did it have to do with the mission, but it was very important.

* * *

Boss fixed his magnetic clamp to the wall of the shaft that General Fisto had cut open and jumped, keeping the slack of his cable tight so as to avoid slamming into the opposite wall as he rappelled down, Sev beside him.

As he landed, he detached the cable and moved forward a few paces to give the others room. He clipped the cable to his belt and lifted his blaster, covering the large corridor that stretched out before him. Dim, flickering glowpanels on either side of the ceiling cast evenly spaced shadows down the high walls and across the floor, where they joined each other. At the far end was a mass of shadowy figures that Boss did not like the looks of.

"It's a little dark in here," he said, glancing up as Fixer and Scorch neared the ground. "Switching to night vision." As his HUD compensated for the lack of light, the shadows resolved into a large group – at least four squads' worth of inactive B1s.  
"Is that what I think it is?" Scorch asked, swapping his deecee attachment to anti-armor and loading a shell.

"Permission to destroy, sir," Sev said, already aiming.

Boss glanced sideways at him. "Fixer, do you have hostiles on sensors?"

"Negative, Three-Eight."

The general hit the ground with a soft thud, his long head tentacles swaying as he straightened up beside the commandos. He quirked his eyebrows, apparently catching sight of the droids despite the low light. "Really, Grievous is making things too easy," he declared.

His lightsaber lit the area around him with a quavering green glow as he moved forward at an easy run. As he neared the droids, he threw his weapon. It spun through the air in a long arc, the humming blade neatly decapitating twelve droids before returning to his hand.

"_So _not fair," Scorch muttered.

"Yeah. . ." Despite his agreement, Sev sounded impressed.

General Fisto stepped away from the droids. "They didn't activate even when I got near them," he reported needlessly as he returned. "They must have run out of power."

Boss watched him, mildly interested. General Fisto, apparently, saw no reason to destroy the remainder of the droids; perhaps this was because they weren't an immediate threat. Powered or not, however, droids were droids, which the Separatists had purchased, and which might eventually become a threat.

Boss looked at the others. "Scorch."

The commando adjusted his aim slightly and fired once. The shell landed exactly in the center of the group of droids and exploded. When the echo of the blast had died away and the dust cleared, only two droids remained standing.

"Nice aim," said Sev, his low voice derisive. He lined up his shot in an instant and fired, taking out both with a single sniper round.

"That doesn't count," Scorch retorted illogically. "They were standing still."

The glowing visor of Sev's helmet focused on Scorch for a long moment before turning away in obvious disgust.

"Can it, Six-Two," said Fixer, who was staring at something on the floor beyond the droids. "I think there's some sort of low-spectrum beam –"

Before he could finish, Advisor's voice cut through, sharp and quick. _"Deltas, listen up. The ray shields surrounding those two rooms just shut off."_

"Some of the debris must have been thrown through the beam," Fixer said.

Boss followed his gesture. Sure enough, there was a projector at the far end of the corridor that sent a faint, flickering line of light across to the other wall. "Advisor? Any intel on what's in those rooms?"

_"You're not going to like this,"_ Advisor replied. _"Two large heat signatures."_

Over the course of the few months he'd been in the field, Delta Thirty-Eight had learned to be doubly on his guard when Advisor failed to provide specifics. "Advisor. _How _large?"

_"Rough estimate – five meters high. I can recalibrate one of the scanners for a biometric reading, but it'll take a few minutes."_

"They seem to be asleep," said General Fisto suddenly. "Two different creatures, but unintelligent. I'll know if they wake up, don't worry."

The general's whole demeanor was calm and assured, and he seemed perfectly confident in his own capabilities. And they didn't have else to go on at the moment.

Boss nodded to him. "All right, Deltas, let's move out. Sev, Fixer, you take one side; Scorch and I'll take the other. . ."

He paused, glancing again at General Fisto, who was watching him attentively, his arms folded. His forearms, Boss noted curiously, were protected by standard trooper vambraces. "Further suggestions, sir?" he asked. _Giving the general orders would probably be a bad idea._

"I will scout out the central area," the Nautolan replied. "I still sense danger, but it is not immediate. Should either team need help –" He lifted one arm, tilting his comlink toward them. "I'll join you as quickly as possible."

They stiffened to attention, and he grinned before running swiftly down the hall, easily dodging around the crumpled droids. The commandos followed more slowly. On his way by the projector, Boss pulled out his pistol and shot it a few times.

At the end of the corridor, they separated, Fixer and Sev heading left while Boss and Scorch took the right-hand branch – towards the two rooms, Boss noted. He hefted his rifle more securely.

Advisor guided them to the first position, and Boss knelt to place the charge while Scorch stood guard. He tapped absently through the familiar code set, still considering the lack of enemies. Double-checking to be sure the indicator lights were where they should be, he got to his feet and said, "First charge set."

_ "Right behind you, sir,"_ Sev replied. _"Two charges to go."_

_ "Delta Lead, you have three more on your side,"_ Advisor told him. _"Assuming that Six-Two was correct about the placement."_

Scorch snorted and fell in behind Boss. "Hey, you're talking to the demolitions _expert _here."  
_"Sev's the sniping expert,"_ Advisor said. _"And even he sometimes misses."_

The logic of this statement was apparently undeniable, even to Scorch's sense of professional pride, because he didn't comment. Astonishingly, neither did Sev.

They reached the second pillar and Boss stood guard for Scorch. Advisor certainly had been more talkative on this mission than on any other. He was probably a little nervous at being alone, with an unknown number of enemies nearby – because there _were _enemies nearby, if General Fisto was correct.

Boss narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. If something happened, and the squad was too far away, Advisor would have to get himself out. He was a cool thinker, especially when the team was in a tight spot, but being in danger in the field was a lot different than guiding people out long-distance. Hopefully, he'd be up to the task.


	12. Chapter 12

Anakin sat on the floor of the hold, his back against the cold metal of the _Twilight's _wall. The men were gathered nearby, waiting for Obi-Wan, Cody, and Oddball, who were currently in the cockpit, to return.

He shut his eyes, trying to focus his mind enough to clear it of the lingering wisps of confusion from the Dathomirian's attack, but they stubbornly remained. Trying a more physical approach, he shook his head, but it only ached worse, so he gave up and glanced around for some form of distraction.

Most of the clones stood around in small groups, using the brief pause to eat and drink. Anakin considered following their example, but only for a moment. He really wasn't hungry enough to eat ration cubes, and Kix had already given him a cup of water – and watched him until he'd drunk it. Anakin smirked to himself. Clone medics could be worse than Jedi healers.

Across from him, Rex was conversing with Namer, a clone whose hair was greying near the temples. Namer had been in the 501st longer than most of the others, and he was well known for his steady, calming demeanor. Anakin had often seen Rex assign rookies to Namer's care, especially during their first battle.

Near the captain, some of the clones were trying to play a round of sabacc, but apparently half of the cards had been swiped. Fives accused Det of taking them so he could mark them; Det acidly suggested that Fives learn to count. Fives frowned, but cast a surreptitious glance at Echo, as though to ask, "Are you _sure _we counted right?"

Then Jesse came into the argument on Det's side. Trap suggested that someone else had taken the cards, and Switch asked if they were sure they'd had a full deck in the first place. Echo and Fives began to bicker about this, since Fives was sure and Echo wasn't. Anakin followed the increasingly heated argument with interest.

Finally, Sergeant Boomer got to his feet, a cup of water in his hand. He took a sip and stalked over to them. "Echo, Fives."

They jolted to attention. "Yes, sir!"

"Shut up."

They shut up.

Det and Trap began counting the cards for the third time.

Anakin's attention wandered again. He glanced at his chrono and wondered how long it was going to take Obi-Wan and Cody to check the cockpit for damage. They were concerned that Grievous had damaged or sabotaged one of the critical systems, or so Cody had said.

_Right, _Anakin thought uncharitably. _They're probably just using Grievous' presence here as an excuse to check the _Twilight _for structural integrity, or something like that._

Wooley, who sat close by, slowly rotated his helmet in his hands. His forehead was creased, as though he were worried or displeased by something, and Anakin raised an eyebrow at him. "Hey, Wooley. What's up?"

Cody's sergeant looked back at him, his face the mask of blank professionalism that so many of the soldiers habitually employed. "Nothing, sir."

Anakin tipped his head back and huffed a silent laugh. "Nothing. Apart from the fact that we have no idea what we're doing, you mean?"

The sergeant hesitated, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Sorry, sir. It's just, I don't like the idea of staying on the ship while the rest of you are out fighting the Seps."

Well, Anakin could certainly sympathize there. "If it makes you feel any better, we'd need someone to guard the ship anyhow." He lowered his voice, sensing the approach of his old master. "Or so Obi-Wan always says when he doesn't want me to accompany him somewhere. You watch, he'll try it."

Wooley's face was impassive as ever, but amusement flashed in his eyes as Anakin got to his feet.

"All right, men," Obi-Wan called as he entered the hold. "Here's the situation: the _Twilight_ is unharmed, but our signal is being jammed. I couldn't reach the _Negotiator._ It should be possible to reach it if we leave the atmosphere, but we have no guarantee we'll be able to land again once we leave."

"So we're on our own," summarized Anakin, offering Wooley a hand up. "Don't sound so worried, Master. We've pulled off missions like this before."

Obi-Wan clasped his right elbow with his left hand, his free hand tugging at his beard. "I know, but the whole situation feels wrong. Still, it seems that if we intend to succeed, we have no other choice but to continue." He glanced around at the men. "I will find Ventress, and lure her back here."

Anakin strode forward. "All right, let's go."

"Not you, Anakin. After all, _some_one needs to stay and guard the ship."

Anakin rolled his eyes conspiratorially at Wooley, who cleared his throat softly. "Sir, there _are_ twenty men here."

Cody shifted. "With all due respect, General, I think your chances of success would be greater if you had others with you."

Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin, his cool blue eyes assessing. "Very well. I'll take my men with me – but I'd still rather you stay, Anakin."

"Fine," Anakin replied. "One Jedi in each team, and we'll catch her in the middle."

Cody stood at attention. "Two-Twelfth, form up! We're moving out!"

The uninjured men obeyed, snatching up blasters and helmets and packs and jogging swiftly out of the cargo hold. Obi-Wan followed them, and Cody stopped just before leaving the room. "Sergeant," he said, glancing at Wooley. "Oddball's up front, trying to get our ground comms back online."

"Yes, sir," said Wooley. "Switch and I'll help him, sir."

"Good man." Cody nodded sharply and left the room.

The instant the door hissed shut behind Wooley and Switch, the blue-marked helmets of the 501st troopers turned as one in Anakin's direction.

Anakin hefted his lightsaber. "We need to lay a trap for Ventress. You boys think we can pull it off?"

Trap shrugged and shouldered his rifle. "It's in my name, sir."

"It'll be dangerous." Anakin, already at the door, hit the release switch and smirked back at them. "Well – more so than usual."

"Dangerous is what the Five-Oh-First does best," said Jesse.

Kix elbowed him.

Rex drew one of his pistols and gestured casually with it. "Just tell us where you want us, General."

Several of the others added their agreement, and Anakin grinned. "Follow me."

* * *

Obi-Wan had thought that it would take a long time to find Ventress, but they'd only been in the castle for a few minutes when two red blades materialized from the shadows beneath a wide archway, some meters ahead.

He pursed his lips and drew his own lightsaber, signaling Cody to position his troopers. Ventress had not attacked immediately, which meant it was time to move through the usual pre-battle routine. Again.

"So, you brought _reinforcements_," she called, a definite note of amusement in her tone. "Luminara's whole legion couldn't stop me. Do you think your little squad can?"

One of the men – Obi-Wan thought it was Boil – fired off a shot that she barely managed to deflect. The blue laser hit the ceiling above her, sending a fine drifting of dust down over her head. Ventress scowled.

"Stand down," snapped Cody.

Boil muttered an insincere apology.

There were a few reasons Obi-Wan had left Anakin behind – one of them being that he responded too easily to Ventress' prodding words and insults. He sent Boil a severe look. "It may be tempting to prove her wrong, but we can't afford mistakes."

". . . Sorry, sir."

Boil's tone of voice indicated that he was sorry he _couldn't_ shoot at her, rather than sorry that he _had _shot at her. Obi-Wan felt a headache building behind his eyes.

Ventress twirled one saber casually. "I thought you were here to capture me, Kenobi, but you don't seem to be succeeding."

"I would have, but you ran away during our last little encounter, remember?"

She hissed. "You were losing, old man."

"Shall we attempt a rematch, then?" He settled into his habitual ready stance. "I do look forward to seeing who the winner will be."

Her comlink flashed just then, indicating an incoming call, and she rolled her eyes, long eyelashes fluttering. "One moment, Kenobi. I have to take this."

He nodded politely. She turned away, her voice low as she replied, and Obi-Wan looked at Cody. "This won't be easy."

"No, sir." Cody seemed completely unconcerned.

"Set all blasters to stun. I'll occupy her. You'll have to watch closely, men; the instant her lightsabers are trapped, shoot her."

"Good plan, sir." Cody turned the output of his rifle down without looking, his helmet still turned in Ventress' direction. "General, if this works, we might not even need to lead her back to the _Twilight._"

An obvious fact, and one that didn't need stating, but Obi-Wan knew why he had said it. Regrettably, Cody often saw straight through the reasoning behind Obi-Wan's carefully laid plans. In fact, Cody's ability to know what Obi-Wan was thinking was part of what made him such a good commander . . . and, at the same time, made him someone who was ridiculously hard to fool.

Obi-Wan supposed it was good that he didn't need to fool Cody at the moment. He glanced over at Ventress, who was still talking. "Yes, well," he said easily. "I'm still not sure what that attack did to Anakin. His presence in the Force is clouded. He might feel well, or say he does, but something's not right."

Instead of replying, Cody checked over his men before nodding at Ventress. "Looks like she's finished, sir."

Obi-Wan was prepared. He stood ready: his balance easy, his lightsaber form flawless, his mind sharp and focused, all distractions cleared –

"Hope General Skywalker doesn't figure your reasoning out," Cody said casually, as though he were talking to himself.

Obi-Wan, his focus now broken, cast him an irked glance. "_Really, _Commander."

He could easily sense the clones' amusement at his reaction even as he turned back to his opponent.

"Ventress," he called. "If you're quite finished chatting . . .? I do have other things to be doing."

There was a light in her pale eyes that he didn't like. She looked pleased, confident, as though she had somehow been assured of victory. He was missing something, something important, but there was nothing he could do about it but focus on the coming battle. He readied himself again.

She stared at the floor for a long moment, gathering herself, then sprang high into the air and corkscrewed down at him. The flashing blades of her sabers slammed into his horizontal block, and he had to take a step back to correct his balance.

Letting out a high-pitched cackle of laughter, she swung at him from both sides. He ducked under one blow, caught the second, twisted around it and feinted at her head. As he had expected, she whipped around, inhumanly fast, and caught his blow on crossed blades. Obi-Wan was ready. With a sudden burst of Force-enhanced strength, he shoved her back against the corridor wall, arms straining to keep her lightsabers trapped.

Blue bursts of light scattered across his vision, two bouncing off his blade and three hitting Ventress. She screeched in fury and blasted Obi-Wan against the opposite wall, but her anger only sustained her an instant, and she collapsed midstride. Her lightsabers hit the ground and deactivated. Obi-Wan also hit the ground, landing at an awkward angle.

He propped himself up on his hands, checking first to see that she was truly unconscious and second to ensure that his shoulder wasn't broken. "Well, _that _went better than I expected," he commented to the room at large.

"Put stun cuffs on her," Cody directed his men.

"Two sets," Obi-Wan added, getting stiffly up. "I'll take her weapons. Good work, troopers. Now, let's get back to the _Twilight_ and leave before anything else happens."

Just as he finished speaking, a sudden surge of alarm from the direction of the ship filled his mind, and he straightened abruptly, ignoring the loud series of cracks his spine made.

"General?" said Cody.

"Something's already happened," Obi-Wan told him, breaking into a run. "Hurry!"


	13. Chapter 13

Captain Rex knelt in the shadow of the _Twilight, _keeping a sharp eye on the courtyard before him. Echo and Fives waited beside him, their rifles pointed down at the ground. Echo fidgeted with his spare powerpack, and Fives' fingers tapped against his gunstock every few seconds. They still had the pre-combat jitters that so many of the shinies had, but that would pass with time and experience.

"Save it for the battle, troopers," he said.

They stilled immediately, and he gave them an approving nod just as General Skywalker came out of the ship. He wandered over and sat on the outstretched wing just behind them. "Oddball can't get through that jamming," he said, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "Should have brought Artoo with us."

Rex tapped his comms. Sometimes, even with jamming, it was possible to get helmet-to-helmet signals, but a burst of static was all he got. It had been worth a shot, anyway. He clicked them off. "How do you want us to coordinate this, sir?"

"There's not much of a strategy this time." He tilted his head as though trying to hear something, then shrugged. "Jesse's up front, watching the doors. The minute he sees her, he'll call. We'll all attack at once. Hopefully, that'll distract her enough for Obi-Wan's men to overpower her."

It wasn't a complicated plan. Run forward, shoot at enemy, avoid dying. Well, they'd had worse plans.

General Skywalker suddenly jolted upright, his lightsaber blade snapping into existence. "What the –"

There was a shout of alarm from the opposite side of the ship, and a harsh crackling of electricity that nearly drowned out the ensuing yells. Rex sprinted forward and around the cockpit, dodging Jesse, who had also rushed in the direction of the alarm. The general passed them, his feet barely touching the ground as he moved.

He halted abruptly, and Rex almost slammed into him. A tall, black-clothed man with a pointed white beard stood before them, his red lightsaber pointed downward. Three clones, their armor sparking a little, were crumpled nearby – Boomer and Flash appeared to be unconscious. Trap moved slightly, caught sight of the blade humming just above his neck, and froze.

Count Dooku gazed down his aristocratic nose. "Skywalker," he greeted.

"Dooku," snarled the general, not quite keeping the surprise from his voice. "I should have known you'd be hiding out among the rest of the lawless scum in this city."

"But you did not." The count took a deliberate step forward. "I would have thought better of the 'Chosen One'."

Feeling a grim sense of futility, Rex lifted his pistols and prepared to fire.

General Skywalker lunged forward, slashing at the Sith lord's throat, and Dooku swatted his blow aside. They battled furiously, weapons clashing and buzzing. Count Dooku moved fast, his cloak whipping out behind him, but he seemed unconcerned by the general's aggressive attacks.

There was a movement behind Dooku, and Rex noticed with relief that Flash was conscious now. Boomer still wasn't moving. Trap had gotten to his hands and knees and was reaching for his gun. Rex drew in a breath to yell at him, but Flash saw Trap in time and stopped him.

"Fives, Echo," Rex ordered. "Go around the ship and get those three to safety. Do _not _engage Dooku."

They set off at a dead run, and he tapped Jesse on the shoulder, motioning him forward and to the left. They flanked the duelists, keeping a safe distance away, and waited.

As with most battles involving two lightsaber wielders, there was no opportunity for the men to fire. In his first engagement with Ventress, back on Tibrin, Rex had fired at her directly and gotten a laser deflected into his arm for his trouble. It _had _been a stupid thing to do, he supposed, but standing by and doing nothing hadn't even occurred to him. After the battle, General Skywalker had made a point of sauntering into the mess hall and informing the entire 501st that shooting at a Sith tended to be bad for one's health.

Back on Kamino, during officer training, the widely respected Commander Colt had often stressed the importance of officers providing examples for their men. Rex wondered what his opinion about officers providing examples in stupidity would be. Probably unfavorable.

Fives and Echo reached the others. Keeping one eye on the battle, they dragged Flash and Trap to their feet and motioned for them to leave. Then, picking up Boomer between them, they hurried around the ship's stern. Rex hoped that Kix and the others were still all right. Maybe they'd just had the good sense to not come charging into a battle where they could do no good.

General Skywalker was getting tired, his movements slower and clumsier than before. Stepping back for a moment, he swung his lightsaber in a vicious overhanded blow, leaning into it to force Count Dooku back. The count smiled coldly, stepped to one side, and deactivated his lightsaber.

General Skywalker staggered. Dooku snatched at the blue weapon's hilt, twisting it from his loosened grasp.

Rex and Jesse fired.

The Sith lord ducked the lasers, grabbed Anakin's head, and slammed it into his knee in the same motion. Then he stepped back and raised both hands. Rex's weapons were yanked from his grasp by invisible hands. Jesse clutched his own rifle so hard that he was jerked onto his knees.

The count sneered and brought his hands together, then up.

Rex had seen that movement before. He tried to dive out of the way, but it was too late. That invisible grip had returned, lifting him, Jesse, and a limp General Skywalker into the air.

Jesse slumped a little. ". . . This is gonna hurt."

Rex glanced at the _Twilight _and winced in agreement.

Count Dooku jerked his hands to the side, and the three of them were flung through the air to slam into the durasteel plating of the _Twilight's_ hull. Rex only had time to register the impact before everything went black and silent.

* * *

In the shadowy hallways of Grievous' lair, Boss stood guard while Scorch set the last charge. Directly in front of him was a stone wall – the wall of one of the previously ray-shielded rooms. The door was probably on the adjacent side. No sound came from behind it, and Advisor had affirmed that the heat signatures inside were from biological, not mechanical, beings. He had not been able to tell whether or not the creatures were awake, or if they were hungry. Boss tilted his head, considering. If scanners couldn't tell them anything, maybe General Fisto's Jedi powers could.

"All done here," Scorch reported.

Boss nodded. "General, are the creatures still sleeping?"

There was a pause._ "They are either sleeping or sedated,"_ the general replied. _"I don't think we'll have trouble from them."_

The comm clicked again_. "Objectives completed, sir,"_ said Fixer.

"Good work. Get yourselves back to the shaft. We'll meet up there."

_"One moment, Fixer,"_ said General Fisto suddenly, a note of urgency in his accented voice. _"Wait for me to join you. There is something wrong."_

In Delta Thirty-Eight's experience, 'something wrong' could mean anything from missing rations to an exploding battle cruiser. And it was a sure bet that the general wouldn't be alarmed about rations. "Advisor," he said, setting off at a run. "What's their position?"

_"They're – Oh-Seven, hold position. Something behind you just activated. It looks like a pressure-triggered trap door."_

Ah, yes. There had been something about trap doors and molten metal in the mission report. Boss reached the shaft corridor and headed past it. "Advisor?"

_"Turn left at the next intersection and go to the end. Be careful. I'm reading a sudden transfer of power to this level."_

"Can you trace it?"

_"The energy readings indicate there's a power generator located on the third level. . . Cause of activation, unknown."_

_"It could be on some sort of timer,"_ suggested Fixer.

There was a long moment of silence. Boss turned left and held out a hand, slowing Scorch down. "Watch it, Six-Two. There might be more of those trap doors."

"Yeah, let's avoid those."

_"I don't see any more,"_ Advisor said. _"Deltas, proceed with extreme caution. All systems on your level are up and running."_

Boss reached General Fisto and stopped. The general was examining the floor, and a short distance beyond the Nautolan were Fixer and Sev.

"Careful, sir," said Sev, nodding to Boss. "The trap door's between us."

General Fisto held his hand over the floor and the trap door fell open with a loud _thud. _Sure enough, perhaps fifteen meters below was a pit of white-hot, glowing metal. Sev leaned over to look at it and grunted. "Seventeen hundred degrees."

"Ouch," said Scorch.

Boss gestured to the ceiling. "Can you use your cables?"

Fixer eyed it suspiciously. "As long as there aren't any surprises waiting up there."

"Nothing on my scopes," said Advisor. "Wait. A countdown just started."

General Fisto's high brows jerked upward.

Sev and Fixer glanced at each other, stepped back a few meters, took a running start, and fired their cables into the arched ceiling.

A flurry of lasers burst from the wall behind them.

Sev shortened his cable with an abrupt jerk, then twisted and kicked off the wall, swinging over the lasers. General Fisto soared into the air and landed at the edge of the opening in the floor, his lightsaber a whirl of green as he batted lasers away from Fixer. Boss stepped aside to let Fixer land and shot out two of the guns.

"It's live, commandos!" hollered Scorch, flinging a thermal straight over the general's head. It exploded against the wall, silencing the remaining guns immediately.

"Well. That was different," said General Fisto, deactivating his weapon with a smile.

_"I traced that timer,"_ said Advisor. _"It was a failsafe connected to the trap door. The lasers were probably to kill whoever hadn't fallen in."_

"An improvement over the ones on the first level," General Fisto declared. "I suspect the third level will be the most dangerous."

Since the first and second levels hadn't been particularly dangerous, this might mean the third level would be easily manageable. Then again, perhaps General Grievous had moved all his droids down to the third level. Boss checked his ammo as he led the way back to the shaft. Droids could be killed. Huge creatures of unknown abilities could also be killed, but not necessarily as fast. At least those things, whatever they were, wouldn't be on the third level.

They reached the shaft and Boss waited while Sev and Scorch attached their cables and swung down.

The general glanced back suddenly, his head tentacles swaying. "Those creatures are waking up."

"As long as they're too big to fit in the access shaft, we won't have to deal with them," Boss said. "Once the charges are set, we'll climb straight to the top and get out."

"I can't wait," said Fixer dryly, swinging down beside him.

They moved out of the way, and once more the general jumped down without the aid of a cable. "It will be good to get out of here," he agreed.

"Yeah," growled Sev unhappily. "There's nothing to shoot."

Scorch gestured at the dark room in front of them. "No enemies here either. I don't know about you guys, but this place gives me the creeps."


	14. Chapter 14

Obi-Wan dashed down the entrance hall of Ventress' castle, his lightsaber clutched in one hand. Anakin's presence was once again gone from his mind. If he got back to the ship and found that Anakin had merely knocked himself out by hitting his head on a table or doorframe, Obi-Wan was going to be _extremely_ displeased.

With the clones at his heels, he raced into the courtyard. A dark, familiar presence loomed in the Force – Count Dooku had been here, and recently. First Ventress, then Grievous, and now Dooku? All they needed now was for Cad Bane to arrive and wreak havoc on what remained of the mission . . .

They rounded the front of the ship. Jesse was sprawled on his back, staring at the sky with a bemused look on his tattooed face. His helmet, with its matching paint job, lay a few feet away. Rex was just getting to his knees.

"Where's Anakin?" asked Obi-Wan, glancing around.

The two clones looked around, then at each other. Jesse let out an exasperated huff and sat up slowly as Rex replied, "We – uh – don't know, sir."

Cody stepped up beside Obi-Wan. He didn't say anything.

The situation was spiraling out of control. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, let it out, and shut his eyes, thinking.

"All right," he said calmly. He turned to Gadget and Ghost, who held Ventress by the arms, keeping her upright none too gently. "Take her to the cargo hold and secure her. I'll join you in a moment. Cody, Rex, set a guard and then report to me. We need to regroup."

They obeyed hurriedly, and Obi-Wan entered the _Twilight._ Kix met him at the door and cast a critical gaze over him. "Sprain your shoulder, sir?" he asked.

"Just a bruise." Obi-Wan appreciated the medic's devotion to his work, but he simply didn't have time right now, despite the fact that he really could use a muscle relaxant or a hot pack. "How are the men?"

"Boomer was hit pretty hard, sir – not sure what that Sith lightning is, but it packs a wallop. Flash and Trap were hit too, but not as bad. If you're all set here, I'm going to head back to the hold and give the prisoner a sedative."

"An excellent idea," said Obi-Wan. "Give her something that'll keep her asleep for at least an hour. I take it Wooley and Oddball are still in the cockpit?"

"Yes, sir. They haven't broken through the jamming yet, but they're working at it."

As Kix left, footsteps sounded on the ramp behind Obi-Wan, and he moved further inside to let the clones enter. Rex and Cody came to a halt in front of him and saluted, moving in perfect synchronization as usual. "Perimeter is secure, sir," Cody reported.

"Very good," he replied, half-sitting against a supply crate. "We now have a decision to make. Our mission objective has been completed, but it seems that Count Dooku has _somehow_ managed to capture Anakin. I don't suppose you noticed anything unusual, Captain?"

"Yes, sir," said Rex. "General Skywalker was moving slowly, for him. Count Dooku was able to take his lightsaber before knocking him unconscious."

Obi-Wan tugged his beard a little harder than usual. "That's . . . not good," he pointed out, disregarding the blatant obviousness of this statement.

"No, sir," Rex deadpanned.

Obi-Wan paced across the small room, thoughtfully considering. He stared at the wall for a long moment. "I will have to find some way to rescue Anakin. Still, we did manage to accomplish the mission objective. You men should take the _Twilight _and get Ventress safely to the _Negotiator._"

He turned in time to catch Cody giving Rex a sideways, questioning look. The captain managed to look doubtfully back without actually changing his expression. It was unusual for Obi-Wan's orders to be met with silence, so he raised an eyebrow and waited.

"General," said Cody. "Once we leave the atmosphere and re-establish comms, it'll be an hour before the _Negotiator _joins us."

"I'm sure you'll be able to keep busy for the duration," Obi-Wan replied, collecting his spare robe from a locker.

Rex stepped forward. "Respectfully, sir – the Five-Oh-First can handle a lot, but Ventress isn't going to let herself be held prisoner. She'll likely find a way to escape before the_ Negotiator _can reach us."

Obi-Wan attached Ventress' lightsabers to his own belt and covered them with his robe as he considered. Kix would give her a strong sedative, but there were techniques that Force-users could employ to quickly render toxins or sedatives powerless. Even without lightsabers, she was dangerous – lethally so. Hadn't she sabotaged an entire cruiser less than a week before, killed many of Luminara's men, and escaped without so much as a scratch?

And yet, it would be foolish to keep the _Twilight _here. What if Dooku staged a rescue for Ventress? What if Grievous came back? What if Dooku was simply using Anakin as bait, and trying to lead Obi-Wan into a trap?

He straightened, glancing at the two officers in front of him. Regardless of the many enemies they faced, regardless of the fact that if he made a mistake, they might all die, he knew that he had to make a decision. Every second spent in wavering was a second wasted.

. . . And none of these thoughts made deciding any easier.

"Cody," he said. "Do you have civilian clothes with you?"

"Just fatigues, sir."

"They'll be better than the armor," Obi-Wan replied. "Here's the plan. I'm going to look for Anakin, and you are going to follow at a distance."

"Yes, sir."

"If everything goes well, we'll rescue Anakin and be back here shortly." Obi-Wan fixed him with a calculating gaze. "However, in the event that I am captured, you are to return here _immediately_ and take charge of the mission. Ventress must be returned to Coruscant. You will have to report to the Council and they can organize a rescue."

"Understood, sir," said Cody. He saluted and left.

Obi-Wan turned to Rex. "Until Cody or I return, you're in command."

"Yes, sir."

"And keep a sharp eye on the prisoner and on your surroundings," Obi-Wan added.

"Don't worry, General," said Rex. "Ventress might be dangerous, but I figure if stun lasers work on General Skywalker, they'll work on her." He tapped his right-hand pistol with a forefinger and left to check on the men.

Obi-Wan wondered how Rex knew that stun lasers worked on Anakin. Droids never used stun lasers, after all. . . On second thought, maybe he didn't want to know. As he waited for Cody's return, two things occurred to him – first, that Rex had, a moment ago, hinted that it was too dangerous to leave Ventress without a Jedi as a guard; and second, that he now seemed quite confident about handling the prisoner himself.

Taken together, these two apparently conflicting statements brought Obi-Wan to the inevitable conclusion that he had been manipulated. He rubbed thoughtfully at his nose. In his experience, clone officers tended to emulate the habits of their generals; Anakin had certainly never been accused of subtlety, and Rex had followed his lead. So had Ahsoka, come to think of it. The three of them, along with the entire 501st, rushed into battle against overwhelming numbers with cocky bravado, as though defeat were unimaginable.

Cody, on the other hand, worked closely with Obi-Wan; he'd watched as terms of surrender were discussed, as treaties were drawn up and altered, and as Obi-Wan talked his way out of (and into) more than one inconvenient situation. He had also seen the way Obi-Wan used words to, ah, manipulate people.

More and more frequently, Anakin and the 501st had been assigned to work with Obi-Wan and Cody, who often led the missions. It was very likely that Rex was learning from one or both of them. . .

Setting aside this concerning line of thought, Obi-Wan looked up as his commander approached. He was dressed in the grey fatigues that all clones wore when off-duty, but had removed his rank bars.

With a nod to him, Obi-Wan moved quickly out of the ship and towards the high wall. They would need to enter the city, and trust to his senses in order to find Anakin – or Count Dooku. It was likely that where one of them was, the other would be as well. Behind him, Cody moved quietly along, pistol at the ready.

When they reached the gate, Obi-Wan turned to him. "Try to be more casual," he said. "Anything or anyone who looks – official – is looked on with suspicion here. We must not draw attention."

"Yes, General." Cody holstered his blaster. "Though I think the uniform might look too official as it is."

"Yes, but hopefully it will still draw less notice than armor. I should make sure to have an extra cloak on hand next time."

Hopefully, there wouldn't _be _a next time, but one could never be too prepared, as this mission was proving time and again.

"I'd rather be able to move than remain unnoticed," said Cody with a smirk. "Those robes look unwieldy."

"It's easier than it looks." With that, Obi-Wan slipped out into the road, making a mental note to never tell Cody about the first mission he'd gone on with his master. They had just left a meeting with the planetary officials when Obi-Wan had tripped on the edge of his traditional, floor-length Jedi robe, and then stumbled again while trying to regain his balance. Master Qui-Gon had said nothing, his countenance serene as always, though his mouth had twitched suspiciously all the way back to their quarters.

Smiling a little at the memory, Obi-Wan moved farther into the city, Cody trailing thirty meters behind him. His mind caught the faintest sense of Anakin's general direction, and he turned onto a wide street that led toward a massive, fully enclosed building. At least Anakin was still on the planet's surface. That would make a rescue much easier. Obi-Wan had never enjoyed missions that required what Anakin called 'good piloting'.

His stomach lurched at the very thought, and he turned his mind back to the fact that it was time to rescue his former apprentice – again.


	15. Chapter 15

Anakin woke with a start, alarm ringing through his head. Dooku had taken his lightsaber! He jumped to his feet, lost his balance, and staggered back against a cold wall, where he leaned unsteadily. His eyes didn't seem to be focusing properly.

He blinked hard and opened them again. Grey filled his vision. Grey walls, grey floor, grey ceiling. . . The only color came from a flickering yellow glowpanel just outside the barred door. His face felt tight, and when he brushed at it, he realized that the lower half of it was covered in dried blood. His nose was not broken, but it hurt as much as if it had been.

Groaning, he rubbed his forehead, finally noticing that his hands were locked together with handcuffs. Great. He was a prisoner of Dooku – _again_ – and he didn't know where he was, or where his enemy was. He attempted to reach out and locate Dooku, but his mind felt as though it were made of cobwebs. Shaking his head didn't help – oh, right, he'd tried that earlier.

There must be something about the cell that was blocking his Force abilities. Or it was from that Dathomirian, and the dark, shadowy fog. He was probably suffering residual effects from whatever _that _had been.

Since there was nothing else to do, Anakin pounded on the door a few times, tried to remove his handcuffs, which were electronically locked, and paced. As time passed and he grew more irritated, he added muttering to his list of things to do.

"How did Dooku beat me that fast?" he groused. He turned on his heel, jerking at the cuffs again, before remembering that Rex and Jesse had been with him. "Huh. Maybe they're in the next cell."

He certainly hoped they were. Dooku didn't often leave enemies alive . . . And what about Obi-Wan and the others? If everything had gone well, they'd have caught Ventress by now. If they left the planet, Anakin would have to find a way out of here himself. Then again, Obi-Wan wouldn't leave without Anakin, no matter how many arguments they'd had on the matter over the years . . . which still meant he'd have to find a way out of here himself. No _way_ was Obi-Wan rescuing him _again. _

Maybe there was a guard he could grab. When Anakin peered through the bars, however, the only person in sight was at the far end of the hall, well out of reach – an orange-skinned Twi'lek with black tattoos on his forehead and lower neck. Nothing near the door was of any use. There was a control panel, which he couldn't reach, and a data port, which he could reach but which was useless without computer spikes.

He paced a bit more. If Obi-Wan had been here, he would be telling Anakin to sit down and be quiet. Anakin ignored the imagined advice until he realized that he'd need to save his energy if he wanted to escape.

He had just slumped down against the back corner of the room, where he could easily watch the door, when another door opened. His interest piqued, Anakin crept to the bars and looked out.

Two figures – a Weequay and a Rodian – propped up a human in drab clothes between them as they spoke to the orange man.

The Twi'lek spoke with a strong accent, gesturing towards Anakin's cell. "Put him with the other. They'll be easier to watch that way, no?"

The Weequay grunted. Anakin ducked back against the wall, waiting tensely as the footsteps drew nearer. If he timed it just right –

The door hissed open.

Anakin jumped forward, smashing his bound hands into the Rodian's face. The slash on his left arm burned, but he ignored it. As the short alien staggered back, he turned to face the Weequay, who had dropped his prisoner and was grabbing for a gun. Anakin lashed out once, twice, darted out of the path of a hastily fired shot, spun on his heel, and kicked him squarely in the head.

Another swift kick put the Rodian flat on his back. Anakin dove to the floor, fingers scrabbling at the gun.

A hard blow connected with his chest, knocking him backwards into the cell, and he struggled upright with a gasp.

"Not so fast, my Jedi friend," said the Twi'lek easily, kicking the Rodian's arm out of the doorway and pressing a button on the small remote. A ray shield flickered on, filling the open area. "The Count wants you here, and here you shall stay."

The red shield buzzed tauntingly. Enraged, Anakin slammed his fists into it, and the jolt of electricity made him stagger. The Weequay and the Rodian, who were standing more or less upright again, glared at him, but the Twi'lek waved them away. As they stomped off, the orange alien glanced back at him.

"Who _are _you?" Anakin growled, furious at having been stopped so close to his escape.

"Does it make a difference?"

"Yes, it does." Anakin smiled unpleasantly. "I wouldn't want to go after the wrong Twi'lek when I get out of here."

"Ah. In that case, since there are _so _many orange Twi'leks around. . ."

Anakin rolled his eyes.

The Twi'lek's pointed teeth gleamed. "My name is Tar Saresh, and I am in charge of the Cauldron. Now, step back toward the wall."

Anakin stared at him. "What's the Cauldron?"

"You're in it. Wall, now." He tapped his remote. "Unless you want me to shock you into oblivion first."

"No, thanks all the same." Anakin stalked to the far wall and waited, readying himself to jump the instant the shield was deactivated.

Tar Saresh shook his head at him as though disappointed. "I'm not so foolish as that, Skywalker."

"I – what?"

Anakin's arms were jerked up abruptly, his handcuffs attaching magnetically to the wall and twisting him halfway around. The shield deactivated, and Tar Saresh grabbed the unconscious prisoner by his wrists and dragged him in, then left. The door shut, and the shield flickered on just outside it.

"Wait!" shouted Anakin.

Tar Saresh paused, glancing over his shoulder.

"Can you at least detach these cuffs from the wall?" Anakin hated to beg, but his shoulders were already aching from the strain, and he knew he'd be incapable of moving his arms in a short time. And there was another prisoner to consider now. He peered at the crumpled form across from him, but the light was too dim to see much.

"I suppose I could," the Twi'lek replied. "I don't want to compromise your value."

"_Value?_ What is this, some sort of slaver camp?"

"If it were, you'd be in processing." His teeth glinted again. "And trust me, that would be much less . . . pleasant. Not that you'd know about that."

"Yes, actually, I would," snapped Anakin. "What does Dooku want me for?"

"Something that he thinks of as important, I would presume." With that useless bit of information, he left, clicking the remote so that Anakin's arms were freed from the wall.

Anakin flexed his shoulders and moved over to the prisoner. "Hey, wake up," he said, rolling him onto his back. "We're both stuck –" Anakin stared at the man's familiar scar. "Cody! How'd _you _end up here?"

"What –" Hazy eyes gazed back at him for a moment before a flash of recognition cleared them. "General Skywalker?"

"Yeah, it's me. Maybe you can tell me what's going on here."

Cody sat up slowly, leaning against the wall as he glanced around the room. "Where are we, sir?"

"The Cauldron, whatever that is." Anakin sat back on his heels. "I know Dooku captured me, but what about you? Where's Obi-Wan?"

"I don't know, sir. He was looking for you. I was trailing him, and he'd just entered a large building –" Cody shook his head a little. "I must have been hit with a stun baton."

"You can't have been out for very long, then," said Anakin. "You sure you don't feel drugged or anything?"

"Yes, sir."

"So you were out for three or four minutes." Anakin frowned. "I wonder if we're in that building you were talking about. Is it pretty close to the castle?"

"Yes, sir. It's huge, but not very tall. I'm guessing it's a lot bigger on the inside than the outside. I noticed steps leading down from the ground level."

"I know which one you're talking about," said Anakin. "I saw it on the way in. Good."

"How does that help us, sir?"

Anakin shrugged. "If you're right, we'll at least know which way to run when we get out. I assume the pickup point is the castle courtyard."

"Yes, sir."

"Hmm." Anakin looked around the room again, but of course nothing useful had appeared. "I take it they searched you?"  
Cody got stiffly to his feet and checked. "Looks like it. No gun or ammo. Not that it would do any good against that shield."

"No, but we might have been able to get through these," said Anakin, glancing at his cuffs in disgust. Feeling suddenly weary, he slumped against the wall. "Did you get Ventress?"

"Yes, sir. She's in the ship, heavily sedated. Captain Rex is keeping an eye on her."

Anakin stared. "Ventress is still _on the planet?_"

Cody glanced sideways at him. "General Kenobi wanted us to leave, but we managed to convince him that it would be a bad idea."

"Why?" exclaimed Anakin. "Ventress is too dangerous to leave without a Jedi, he should know that. He could have come back later!"

"No, sir; he wanted _us _to leave. He was going to stay alone."

"Oh," said Anakin, placated. "Well, good job, then. . . But I still don't like the idea of the men on that ship with Ventress. And we _still_ don't know where Grievous went." He huffed in annoyance. "I don't know about you, Cody, but I have a bad feeling about this."

Cody nodded once. "What are your orders, General?"

"Well, for starters, let's try to figure out some way to get out of here before this whole mission goes to pieces."

The look that Cody gave him clearly insinuated that the mission had already gone to pieces, but all he said aloud was, "Yes, General. Any ideas?"

"_No,_ that's why I wanted to try to figure out some." Anakin rubbed at his forehead in exasperation and bumped his sore nose. He winced. "And in case you were going to suggest using the Force, I don't think that's going to work right now."

There was a short silence before Cody spoke. "General Kenobi said something about your presence in the Force being clouded."

"Yeah, I'll bet," said Anakin. "It'll probably go away with time. But even if that weren't the case, I don't know what I could do with it at the moment. There's a data port outside, but I can't manipulate data with the Force."

"A data port, sir?" said Cody. He glanced at the ray shield.

"It's inside the shield, outside the door," Anakin said, getting up and glancing out the bars again. Tar Saresh was still at the far end, working on a computer. "You know, if I had a straight piece of metal, I could try to short out the system using the ray shield's current."

"If the shield runs off the same system, that would shut it down too," said Cody.

"Exactly." Anakin looked around. "I don't see any straight metal pieces, do you? Too bad you don't have your armor. . . we could have used that antenna."

Cody shook his head. "The only metal here is in those cuffs, sir – and in your hand."

Anakin blinked at him, then considered his prosthetic hand. "I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. "I'll have to touch the port and the shield at the same time."

"General," said Cody, standing up before Anakin could poke his hand out through the bars. "What if it shorts out your prosthetic as well?"

"Well, if you take care of the guard, that won't matter. . . unless it knocks me out, of course. Huh. Guess you're right." Anakin leaned back against the opposite wall and slid down to the ground. "Well, unless one of us thinks up something, we're stuck till Obi-Wan gets here."

Several long minutes passed, during which neither man moved. The glowpanel buzzed faintly, and there were soft beeps and taps from the computer where Tar Saresh worked.

Anakin felt boredom setting in. He sighed and glanced at his companion. "Hey, Cody, you've piloted a lot. Have you ever thought about what kind of upgrades you'd pick for a Delta-7 if you could pick any you wanted?"

The commander's eyebrow went up. "I thought the last set of upgrades you did on General Kenobi's ship worked very well, sir."

Anakin snorted, crossing his arms. Honestly, Cody could be so _noncommittal _at times. But the word 'Delta' had called something else to mind. "I wonder if General Fisto and the commandos have finished their mission yet."

"If they have, Rex isn't going to like it." Cody smirked. "Commandos don't forget easily – especially when their skills get called into question."

Anakin chuckled. "I have a feeling I won't hear the end of it from General Fisto, either. He's not as uptight as most of the Jedi Masters. I'm probably going to find myself upgrading his R6 unit next time I'm on Coruscant."

A step sounded in the hall, and Cody turned as Anakin got to his feet.

Count Dooku stood just outside, gazing imperiously at them. "Skywalker," he said, nodding by way of a greeting. "Commander."

"What do you want?" demanded Anakin.

"For the moment, I simply need evidence of your incarceration." The Count held up a holorecorder and clicked it. Then, without so much as another glance, he left. Anakin stepped up to the door, Cody beside him, and watched as he handed the device to the Twi'lek.

"See that this is shown to the Jedi when you bring him my message," he ordered.

"Of course, Count." Tar Saresh tapped it thoughtfully. "Is your plan still the same for those two?"

Count Dooku looked displeased. "Be assured that I will notify you if it changes."

"And the others? Can I send my men for them?"

Anakin and Cody shared a concerned glance.

"I have not forgotten my promise, Tar Saresh," the Count said warningly. "I'd rather that you killed them, but if you must take them, get rid of them tonight."

As he swept out of the room, a Weequay entered. "What are your orders, boss?"

"It's time to move in." The Twi'lek sounded pleased. "But stun batons and lasers only, Cal. I don't like dealing with damaged merchandise."

Anakin struck the wall. "They _are _slavers," he hissed.

Beside him, Cody shifted. "Do you think they're talking about the _Twilight, _General?"

"Yes. I do. And we've got no way of warning them." He ground his teeth, glancing around the small room. "We'll have to wait for Obi-Wan – if he can get here."


	16. Chapter 16

Obi-Wan stood in one corner of the massive room, arms folded as he lounged against one wall, his hood well over his face. One advantage of places like this was that no one questioned anyone else – not unless that person was looking for trouble. Rattatak was rather like Mos Eisley in that respect, except that there was a whole planet of crime, rather than one city of it.

He glanced again at the open main door of the structure. It had been nearly three minutes, and still Cody hadn't joined him. He must have been delayed. Obi-Wan decided to wait. Surely clandestine meetings were a normality around here; no one would be suspicious of a robed smuggler meeting a contact. And Anakin was here somewhere, he was certain of it.

Not that Cody looked like the kind of person who would be in a place like this, which was a little odd when one considered that Jango Fett had been the most notorious bounty hunter in known space. . . Obi-Wan cast another glance at the blinking red chronometer on the far wall and set himself to studying the large room.

The entire building was taken up by a single room. A wide corridor ran around the perimeter of the room. In the center, extending perhaps twenty meters down, was an immense pit. Judging by the seats that were built up to the corridor, this was some sort of theater or game field.

With a casual air, he strolled closer to the edge and glanced down. Metal bars blocked off large rooms at either end of the pit, which was filled with sand. What kind of game demanded cages and sand? Maybe it was one of those arenas that were popular among Hutts, where large, starving creatures battled each other for the amusement of bloodthirsty crowds. One always found such places on outlying worlds. Trying to keep his expression free of disgust, he moved away, back to the wall.

It had been nearly five minutes now, and Obi-Wan wondered whether he should go back and check for Cody, or proceed on his own. He had heard no shots, and Cody would have fought back if he'd run into trouble . . .The question was settled for the moment as an orange Twi'lek approached him, his demeanor confident and relaxed.

"I beg your pardon, Master Jedi," he said smoothly.

Obi-Wan moved his hand toward his hidden lightsaber. He _had_ been discovered! Ah well, at least he could move the hood and breathe again. Shifting the rough fabric away from his face, he smiled at the Twi'lek. "Yes? How can I help you?"

"Actually, it's more a question of how _I _can help _you,_" the man said, gesturing with a long blaster.

"Forgive me," said Obi-Wan, eyeing the weapon distrustfully. "I'm not sure I entirely believe that."

"I have a proposition for you, Jedi."

"Indeed. It wouldn't happen to be from Count Dooku, would it?"

The Twi'lek's pointed teeth glinted in a smile. "Do you want to help your friends, or don't you?"

"That would depend on the manner of 'helping', I'm afraid." Obi-Wan looked around the room. "Are they here, ah . . . what shall I call you?"

"My name is Tar Saresh. And you're General Kenobi of the Galactic Republic."

Obi-Wan inclined his head. "So I've been told."

The Twi'lek smirked. "The Count wishes me to show you this." He held out the holorecorder and pressed a button. A blue hologram flickered into life. Despite the situation, Obi-Wan couldn't help a quick flash of amusement. Two figures were in the hologram: Anakin leaned forward, gesturing angrily, his eyes narrowed; and just behind him stood Cody, his posture slightly defensive, but his expression calm and observant.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "Might I be so bold as to ask why the Count has imprisoned them in this lovely establishment?"

Saresh tossed the holorecorder and caught it. "Count Dooku offers you a trade. If you surrender to us, he will release them. Otherwise, they will die."

"Well, I see the Count isn't mincing words today." Obi-Wan bent his head, pretending to think, but in reality there was no choice. Anakin and Cody wouldn't be happy, but, if the Count kept his promise, they would be alive, and Ventress might still be brought to Coruscant.

As for Obi-Wan himself, he had Ventress' lightsabers hidden.

Glancing at Saresh, he unclipped his own lightsaber and flipped it around. "I'll turn this in now, as a gesture of good faith, if you will let me see them released. Forgive me if I'm not particularly trusting of your employer's word."

Saresh accepted the lightsaber, clapping him on the shoulder in a companionable fashion. "I wouldn't trust his word either, Jedi Kenobi. Very well. You shall see your friends freed." He raised his voice, calling out in Huttese. A moment later, two others of his kind disappeared down the stairs that lead to the seating area around the pit.

"What is this place?" Obi-Wan asked. "It doesn't exactly look like a bolo-ball court."

"Nothing so common, I assure you," laughed Tar Saresh. He jerked forward, and before Obi-Wan could move, his right wrist was clutched in an iron grip. The Twi'lek jabbed a small device against Obi-Wan's arm, and he collapsed to his knees as a steady surge of electricity weakened him.

He gasped in protest. "I gave you my weapon!"

"Yours, yes, but not the Dathomirian's." Saresh stepped back, removing the stun weapon. "Turn them over, now."

Frowning a little at having to reveal his last card, Obi-Wan obeyed.

With all three lightsabers in hand, Saresh took a long step back, his blaster still pointed at Obi-Wan's heart. "There, that is better."

_Thank you for your approval. _

Having placated his injured pride with that inaudible remark, Obi-Wan waited calmly for Anakin and Cody to arrive. He noticed that the rest of the room's occupants had left, presumably on some job or another.

Half a minute later, footsteps sounded against the stone floor, and the prisoners appeared, each followed by a pair of well-armed guards. Neither of them saw Obi-Wan at first. Anakin stalked along, his eyes narrowed in concentration; and Cody, whose hands were not bound, watched him from the corner of his eyes, as though waiting for a signal of some sort.

Tar Saresh smirked. "Your Jedi friend is going to attack his guards," he said. "I'd stake five hundred credits on it."

Before Obi-Wan could open his mouth, Anakin shouted, "Now!"  
Cody caught his Rodian guard's arm, flipping him completely over one shoulder to slam him against the ground. Anakin turned to face his own guards and took a long step back, flinging his bound hands in their direction. A pulse of Force-energy, much less powerful than usual, sent them reeling back, and before either could regain his balance, Anakin had kicked the Weequay in the chin.

"See? I'd have won five hundred credits, had you bothered to place a bet against mine," said Tar Saresh. His pleased expression faded somewhat when Cody, with a flying tackle, slammed the second guard to the ground and grabbed his throat.

Anakin dropped to his knees beside the fallen Weequay, attempting to grab his gun, and Obi-Wan reached out a hand to pull his lightsaber back from Saresh.

"Don't try it," said the orange Twi'lek, his smile transforming to a snarl. He rested one arm over the lightsabers, took a step back, and pointed a gun at Anakin.

Obi-Wan did the only thing he could. "Anakin, look out!"

Anakin and the Weequay, both of whom were clutching at the weapon, glanced up at him. So did Cody, who was choking the heavy-set human guard. The guard twisted and landed on top of Cody, putting his weight behind the blow that he slammed against Cody's chest. Obi-Wan winced. The Rodian got up, chittering angrily, and stumbled over to them, raising a stun baton.

The Weequay shot at Anakin, but missed by a hairsbreadth. Anakin lunged, twisted the gun violently from his grasp, and shot him twice at point-blank range. Tar Saresh cursed and fired a stun blast, but Anakin ducked under the laser and used the second human guard as a shield.

As the Twi'lek shifted his aim, Obi-Wan reached for his lightsaber a second time. An instant's warning was all he got before a surge of Force-energy held him immobile. Then a deep voice said, "We meet again, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Tar Saresh glanced over his shoulder, rolling his eyes. "I have it well in hand, Count," he said.

Sure enough, Anakin was on his hands and knees – Obi-Wan hadn't seen what happened at the last instant, but he no longer had a gun. Cody was kneeling, his arms held behind his back by the large human. Both prisoners seemed more than a little displeased, and Obi-Wan couldn't blame them. He felt rather displeased himself.

Count Dooku frowned. "Did he not agree to the trade?"

The orange Twi'lek tilted his head, smiling again as he handed the three lightsabers to the Sith lord. "The Jedi Kenobi agreed. It was the other two who failed to cooperate. But no harm done – except for him, that is." He gestured at the dead Weequay and shrugged.

Anakin glared at Obi-Wan. "What are you doing here, Master?" he demanded roughly, shaking off his guard's grip.

Obi-Wan looked back at him, raising a sarcastic eyebrow. "Rescuing you. Or negotiating, however you prefer to say it."

"Oh." Anakin gestured at Dooku. "It seems to be going well."

"Anakin, if you hadn't taken matters into your own hands –"

"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly know you were here, Master. All I knew was that our _mission_, which was _supposed_ to take top priority, still isn't completed."

Obi-Wan gazed evenly at him. "All in good time, Anakin. Now, if you don't mind, I must discuss something with the Count."

"Augh!" Anakin struggled to his feet. "_No_! We are _not_ negotiating with Dooku and his filthy slaver allies!"

Count Dooku managed to look more imperious than ever. "You don't have a choice, young Skywalker. Now be silent and let me speak with your master."

Anakin's eyes glowed with fury, but when Obi-Wan continued to stare at him, he jerked his head to the side in angry surrender. Cody said nothing, although that could have been because he was still trying to regain his breath. His eyes focused steadily on each occupant of the room, one after the other.

Obi-Wan turned back to the Sith lord. "Tar Saresh tells me you are willing to free them, if I surrender."

"That is correct." The Count considered him for a long moment. "Saresh? Master Kenobi won't give you any trouble. You may release them."

Tar Saresh nodded and gestured to his men. Grumbling, the Rodian unlocked and removed Anakin's restraints.

Anakin shoved him back, still glowering. "You think you can trust _him _to keep his word, Master?"

"I just did, did I not?" said Dooku, rather smugly.

"Anakin, keep silent," ordered Obi-Wan. He knew Count Dooku would have recognized his apprentice's lightsabers, and that it was very likely the mission would fail as it was. But if Anakin and Cody could get back to the _Twilight _in time, they and the others might at least escape with their lives. He stared at his former apprentice, willing Anakin to think through the situation before he did something foolish.

Anakin gritted his teeth, but remained quiet. Cody looked from him to Obi-Wan, then at the Count, as though he were calculating something. If he had been Rex, he might have rushed at the Count simply for the sake of resisting. Obi-Wan was glad he didn't have to worry about that, at least. Now, if only Cody could keep Anakin from attempting another rescue that was bound to fail. . .

"Come, Jedi Skywalker," said Tar Saresh, gesturing with his gun. "You can either leave with your life, or be shot where you stand."

After a second more of furious glaring, Anakin obeyed. With a final glance towards Obi-Wan, who shrugged slightly in reply, Cody followed. Once they'd left the building, Tar Saresh bowed mockingly in farewell and pressed the door controls. The heavy metal door slid shut.

"There you are, Count," said the orange Twi'lek, striding back to them. "I told you it would work, did I not?"

"You did well," replied the Sith lord. "Now. Lock Master Kenobi in your most secure cell. If he escapes, it means your life."

Again, Tar Saresh seemed more annoyed than frightened. "No need to threaten, Count," he said coolly. "I know what to do."

"Very good." And Count Dooku left, leaving Obi-Wan to wonder what in the galaxy he had planned this time. It never boded well when the Count kept prisoners. Still, he had sensed no duplicity from the Sith lord. At least Anakin and Cody would be safe.

* * *

Outside the building, Anakin stood facing the shut door with tense muscles. Cody kept an eye on the road, watching the covert glances that the city's occupants were giving the two of them. "General Skywalker," he said, when the Jedi still showed no signs of moving. "We should get back to the _Twilight_."

Anakin turned on him. "And leave Obi-Wan here?"

Cody, busy staring down a small group of curious onlookers, answered without looking back. "General, Count Dooku must know we've got Ventress. If he attacks, the men won't stand a chance."

There was a long pause, and then Anakin's shoulders slumped. "Fine. But we're coming back later."

They headed down a deserted side street as Cody replied, "Of course, sir. General Kenobi won't be happy, though."

Anakin brightened visibly at the thought and punched his right fist against his other palm. "Yeah, and I'd have to go back anyway. The good Count has my lightsaber."

He strode on, filled with new vigor, but as they neared the end of the street, he came to a sudden stop. "Uh, we're in trouble."

Cody turned, standing back to back with him. There was nothing in sight except a large pile of packing crates –

The crates were thrown aside with a crash. A dozen figures jumped out and rushed at them without a word. Anakin flung two of them back with a surge of Force energy, but the sheer numbers overwhelmed him. He fought like a madman, whirling and leaping and lashing out in every direction with sudden attacks that left their enemies reeling.

Amidst the blur of motion, he caught sight of Cody slamming one enemy's head against the wall, but then three others descended on him, stun batons flashing.

Alone and weaponless, Anakin faced off against six opponents. They hesitated for the briefest instant before lunging at him. Barely able to see through the whirl of desperation and anger that surrounded him, Anakin snatched a club from the nearest figure and struck out blindly. He killed two of them before stun batons were shoved against his back and held there.

As the last vestiges of consciousness faded from him, he heard a voice say, "Curse these Jedi freaks! Why does Saresh want him, anyway?"

_Saresh . . .? _


	17. Chapter 17

Captain Rex entered the cockpit of the _Twilight_ for the third time since General Kenobi and Cody had left. Oddball was still kneeling beside the comms station, fiddling with the wires. Switch stood next to him, keeping his weight off his injured leg as he watched.

"Captain." Wooley twisted around in the pilot's seat and grinned. "We just located one of the jamming devices."

"One of them? How many are there?"

Oddball got up and adjusted a setting at the control panel. "At least two, sir. I can't locate the one blocking our off-planet transmissions, but the other's a local."

"Hmm." Rex joined them and stared down at Switch's screen. "So, if we take it out, we'll have ground comms again. How close is it?"

Oddball turned a dial and glanced at the screen. "Close enough that we can take it out with the _Twilight's _gun, sir."

He pointed out the viewport at the low-lying building the generals and clones had used to enter the castle.

"Any lifeforms present?" Rex checked.

Switch turned to another screen. "Several in the left wing of the castle; none in the storage building."

"Sergeant," said Rex. "Let's put a hole in their plan."

Wooley, with a pleased smirk, limped over to the main gun and swung it down from the ceiling. There were three double-blasts of laser fire, evenly spaced, and the building dissolved into rubble.

"Local comms coming back online," reported Oddball.

"Captain," said Switch urgently. "We've got a lot of natives gathering around the gate."

"At least one of our problems was easy to solve," said Rex, tilting his head toward the wreckage. "Get our comms synced. Be ready to use the gun on my order."

"We'll charge it up, sir," said Wooley.

Rex nodded and left, heading aft. His comlink blinked twice, signaling a reset, as he entered the cargo hold. Ventress was still unconscious. Despite that, the four clones around her had their guns pointed unwaveringly at her head and torso, and Kix stood next to her, another hypo of sedative ready. Lying on a large crate behind the medic was Boomer, who was still recovering, having been hit the hardest by Dooku's Force-lightning.

"We have a problem," Rex told his men. "There's a large crowd outside the wall."

"Can they get in?" asked Fives.

"The wall isn't _that _high." Flash switched his gun from one hand to the other, flexing his fingers.

Trap glanced at him, then at Rex. "Captain, is the general back yet?"

"No. And he's only been gone an hour, so we can't expect him back any time soon."

Longshot let out his breath silently. "So . . . we're in trouble again."

"If they intend to attack, yes we are." Rex tapped his comm. "Men, report to the cargo hold for orders. Switch, Wooley, stay where you are. Keep an eye on the crowd and let me know if anything changes."

_"Got it."_

Sergeant Boomer stood up to join the others, but staggered.

Kix poked him with a finger, and he fell back. "With all due respect, sir, I didn't give you permission to stand."

Boomer grumbled something uncomplimentary and Jesse snickered.

It took perhaps half a minute for everyone to gather. As Waxer and Boil, who had been on guard, entered, Rex glanced over the men, evaluating the situation. One ship with guns; nineteen men – thirteen who hadn't been injured and six who had, in one way or another; one dangerous prisoner, still unconscious; a large crowd of potential hostiles outside the wall; two missing Jedi and one missing commander; no reinforcements; and Grievous still unaccounted for.

Well, it wasn't the worst situation they'd ever been in.

It sure as fate wasn't the best, either.

Rex clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels. "There might be an attempt to rescue the prisoner," he said. "The generals aren't back yet, and we have no idea when they will be, so it's up to us to stop the enemy. Is that clear?"

"Sir! Yes, sir!"

"We've got one thing in our favor. Ground comms are back online. Everyone, check in and make sure you've got a signal. Kix? I want anyone unfit for battle stationed inside."

The medic nodded. "Sergeant Wooley, Sergeant Boomer, and Switch are the most seriously injured. Longshot's got a laser burn in one hand. Trap and Flash are a bit stiff, but still have full mobility. Jesse's kind of beat up, and so are you."

"Right," said Rex, ignoring the last sentence. In his book, 'beat up' was not at all the same as injured. "Trap and Flash, I want you two outside, guarding the ramp. If things get too hot, retreat inside and help guard the prisoner."

They saluted and left.

Rex glanced over the other men. He wasn't as familiar with the strengths of Cody's men as he was with his own. Then again, this should be a straight-up firefight, so there probably weren't any wrong choices.

"Namer, take Det, Waxer and Boil. Take cover across the courtyard – we just knocked down the storage building, so you might have luck there. We'll try to split their fire between two fronts."

"Yes, Captain." Namer gestured to the other three. "Let's find a good position."

"Oddball, you'll stay here," Rex continued. "You know the launch codes – if we get overwhelmed, you might have to get the _Twilight _out of here. Put Switch and Wooley on sensors and the main gun."

"Yes, sir." Oddball put on his pilot's helmet and headed back to the cockpit.

"Ghost, Longshot. Cody tells me you're good marksmen. Take Fives and Echo with you. Two snipers on each side of the gate. Get up top."

Ghost tapped Echo on the arm. "You're with me, kid," he said. "Let's see how good you are."

Echo glanced at Fives almost uncertainly before following. Fives shrugged at him and trailed after Longshot. Rex decided he should separate the two of them in battle more frequently, get them used to working with other brothers. They couldn't just work with each other, especially since this was their first mission after Rishi.

He glanced at his sergeant. "Boomer –"

"I'm fine, sir."

Rex ignored him. "You'll stay here as a last line of defense. If the prisoner is rescued, the mission fails."

". . . Yes, sir." They both knew that if the enemy got on to the ship, the mission was likely to fail either way. The sergeant was not fooled by Rex's attempt to make his job sound more important than it really was; but then, neither was Rex fooled by Boomer's attempt to sit up straight.

He turned back to the others. "Snap, I want you and Gadget here also."

Snap, who was a veteran of many battles, looked disappointed, but he nodded without comment. Gadget saluted with the eagerness that characterized all shinies.

Rex glanced at the last two clones. "Kix, you keep an eye on the men. Jesse, you keep an eye on Kix."  
"Yes, sir." Jesse clapped his helmet on.

Kix checked Ventress' vitals, jabbed another shot – how much of that stuff was it taking to keep her unconscious? – into her neck, and slung his medic pack onto his shoulders. Picking up his rifle, he said, "We'll take cover in front of the ship."

Rex turned to the three guarding Ventress. "You have any trouble, you call for help immediately, got it?"

Snap switched the safety on his gun off. "Yes, sir. We won't let them take her."

"Right," said Boomer easily. "If they take her, it'll be after they lose a _lot _of men."

Rex nodded to them and left. He checked on the three in the cockpit, then headed outside and tried the generals' comm channels. There was no response, so he tried to contact Cody. No response from him, either.

_I wonder what the commander has gotten himself into this time. _He discarded the thought immediately. There was a battle to be fought. If they survived, they could go after the others. If not – well, they wouldn't be around to worry about it.

Rex entered the courtyard and glanced around, locating each of the men and marking their positions. He stood on the side of the ship nearest the gate and waited, both pistols drawn. "What's it looking like out there?" he asked.

Wooley replied. _"We've got a few hundred people outside, sir. One group of about fifty is close to the gate, the rest seem to be hanging back."_

So, civilians were in the background; they would probably stay back unless the clones seemed to be winning. The immediate threat was the group closest to them, and they appeared to be preparing for a headlong rush.

Wooley's voice took on a note of alarm. _"Captain –" _

The ground vibrated as a roar of sound filled the air. Pieces of the large gate blew outwards, and Rex ducked, firing through the dust and smoke that filled the gap in the wall.

A volley of blue lasers flew through the courtyard – in both directions. Rex's mind went to high alert and he listened more carefully. Sure enough, the rapid sound of the clones' blasters was interspersed with the high-pitched sound of stun lasers. The enemy wanted to take them alive.

_Not good._

The turret guns on the ship fired into the opening left by the gate, and there was an outbreak of cries and cursing. The incoming shots died down for a moment.

Ducking behind the wing, Rex lifted his comm to his helmet, still firing with his left hand. "Oddball! Change of plans. Warm up the engines."

_"On it, sir."_

"They're behind us!" Namer exclaimed.

Longshot broke in. "Captain, they're splitting up. I've got a group coming up this side. They're climbing!"

Rex sent a few more shots towards the dust-filled opening in the wall and glanced to his left. Longshot stood on the wall, firing downwards. Fives, shooting from a kneeling position beside him, jerked and fell backwards off the wall, landing hard twelve feet below.

Echo shouted his name, momentarily distracted, but then turned back to his own side of the battle and continued shooting. Beside him, Ghost was lying flat on the wall, firing off single shots, one after the other.

Rex had known the enemy wouldn't try rushing the gate a second time – not with the _Twilight's _guns guarding it – but he hadn't realized how well-organized they were. They had spread along the entire wall. Half of Rex's men didn't have targets to shoot at yet, and they wouldn't until the enemy got over the wall. At which point it would be too late.

"Namer!" he yelled. "Get your men to the ship. We'll have to take off!"

"On our way, sir!"

A glint of sunlight caught his eye. On the roof of a nearby building, a Weequay was just lifting a long rifle to his shoulder. Rex came to a full stop, lifted both pistols, and fired them together. The Weequay stiffened, staggered, and pitched headlong off the roof with a scream.

Rex quick-holstered his guns, took a running start, and climbed the wall in two steps, clutching at the top to pull himself up.

Beside him, Longshot's rifle clicked on an empty cartridge. Longshot reversed his grip and brought it down hard on the nearest attacker's head. There was a sudden flicker of red, and he staggered and slipped, a hole smoking in the shoulder of his armor.

Another Weequay sniper – on the same roof as the first one. Rex killed him, glanced at the number of oncoming enemies, then grabbed Longshot's arm and shoved him off the wall into the courtyard. As he jumped down after him, landing unsteadily in the sand, the _Twilight _fired another blast, sending whirls of smoke and grit flying.

"Keep your head down!" said a voice, and Kix was there, shooting over Rex. The medic hauled Longshot to his feet and ran for the ship.

Jesse fell back to cover him, firing almost constantly. "We can't hold 'em off, Rex!"

Rex nodded and called back, "We'll have to take off and hope they don't have any heavy artillery nearby!"

Jesse ran to the front of the ship, using it for cover as he shouted for Echo and Ghost to get down. He was still speaking when the entire wall shook with an explosion, and the two snipers went flying. Another hole appeared on the side facing the boarding ramp, not twenty meters away the ship.

Rex jumped forward. "Second wave! Everyone, back to the ship!"

Trap and Flash, still guarding the ramp, were the first to fall under the onslaught of stun blasts that filled the air. Jesse flung himself to the ground, rolled under the ship, and continued shooting.

"Captain!" shouted Boil as he charged out of the ship, followed by Waxer. "They just took Echo and Ghost!"

"Nothing we can do!" replied Rex. "Keep blasting!"

Wooley was quick to swing the _Twilight's _gun around and fire on the new breach, but as soon as he did the gate was left exposed and another group of men rushed in.

The courtyard was in chaos. As Rex ducked under the ship's extended wing, he saw Det taken captive, then Waxer. Rex knew he and the others wouldn't be getting out, but there was still one chance to salvage the mission. "Oddball! Get the _Twilight_ to the _Negotiator!_"

The engines, already active, fired up. Jesse scrambled out from underneath the ship, and he and Rex rushed the enemies crowding their way up the ramp. The enemy soldiers had stopped using their guns, probably because they were in such close quarters now. It was foolish of them – a stun blast wasn't lethal – but Rex had made it a rule never to complain about an enemy's mistakes.

He fired again and again, until his pistols could scarcely recharge in time for the next shot. Behind him, Jesse was using his empty rifle like a club. They were on the boarding ramp, still trying to fight their way through the press of aliens to the door, when the ship lifted off. Rex lost his balance, and a wiry blue Twi'lek jumped on his back, nearly sending him over the edge. Obviously, thought Rex, as he tossed the Twi'lek over the side, the alien had dropped his weapon.

_ "Captain!" _shouted Snap's voice. _"They've broken through –"_

He cut off with a fizzle of static just as Kix appeared in the doorway and joined Rex and Jesse. "They're in the hold, Rex!"

Oddball's calm voice came through next. _"Captain, we're too high for anyone else to board. I can hold this position until you're inside."_

"Wait for my order," he replied breathlessly. He jammed his useless pistol into a Rodian's stomach and shoved him off the ramp. Jesse kicked the last enemy in the knee, collapsing it, just as a double shot from the ground hit him in the back.

Kix lunged forward and caught his arms just as movement behind him caught Rex's attention. "Kix, look out!"

Rex fired and hit one of the assailants. The other one lunged past, grabbed Kix's arms, and shoved him and an unconscious Jesse over the edge of the ramp.

"Seal the doors!" shouted Rex.

It was too late. Two fully armored Weequay, obviously more skilled than the average thugs they'd been dealing with, dragged Ventress out onto the ramp just as the door hissed shut behind them. A hovercraft full of enemies rose into the air beside them, coming to pick up their rescued prisoner. Rex, his balance wavering as the ship moved, shot both helmeted Weequay, but his pistols' severely weakened charges did little more than make them angry.

One of them lifted his rifle and pointed it at Rex's head. "We don't need all of you alive," he snarled in a guttural voice. "Surrender, clone."

Rex slowly put his hands in the air, simultaneously bringing his comlink closer to his mouth. He had failed the mission, but General Kenobi and Cody might still have a chance. "Stay within range of local comms if you can."

"Wait, who's 'e talking to?" snarled the Weequay who held Ventress.

_"Roger that,"_ said Oddball. _"We'll wait for the generals. Good luck, sir."_

Rex believed in making his own luck. As the Weequay stepped forward to take his weapons, he turned and flung himself into the air, falling between the hovercraft and the _Twilight _towards the sand below. There was a shot, and then the sudden sensation of tingling as a stun blast hit him.


	18. Chapter 18

Kit Fisto entered the central chamber of the third level and halted. Frowning, he looked carefully around the room once, and then again. The note of warning in the Force had grown more intense the further they traveled into Grievous' lair, but the Jedi Master couldn't perceive where the danger lay.

The commandos moved silently into the room on either side of him, their guns tracking wherever they looked. It seemed that it didn't take a Jedi to feel the imminent danger looming over them. Or perhaps they always assumed that there were enemies nearby.

"Sergeant," Kit said. "I suggest you and your men set those charges quickly. We don't have much time."

The sergeant's glowing visor stared in Kit Fisto's direction as though he were considering something. Then he turned away, pointing his men to three corners of the room. They followed his orders without a word – even Scorch, who seemed rather talkative, on the whole.

"General," said Boss. "How much time do we have?"

"I'm afraid I can't give you specifics," Kit Fisto replied. "But the Force is warning that the farther we travel, the more danger we are in."

The sergeant's fingers, busy tapping in the code on his demo charge, stilled momentarily. "Any idea what_ kind_ of danger?"

"I sense no intelligent beings nearby," the general replied slowly.

"Droids, then," said Fixer, returning.

"That," grunted Sev. "Or an explosion set to go off when we enter the last room."

Scorch cast a quick, tense glance up at the ceiling. "Yeah, isn't that a cheerful thought. Uh – which _is _the last room?"

Sev shrugged, not looking up from his work. "Well . . . it's not this one."

Kit Fisto grinned as Fixer's shoulders lifted in an inaudible sigh. Then the comlink on his wrist flashed green and Advisor's voice came through. _"Delta Squad, I'm reading an incoming ship headed straight for us."_

"What's the ID?" the sergeant asked. He turned on his heel, raising his left hand and closing it. The other commandos fell in behind him, armored boots clicking quietly over the stone floor. Kit Fisto followed soundlessly, the feeling of imminent danger looming higher.

_"Still too far out for a scan, but judging by the size and speed, it's fighter class. One moment . . . running a scan now. Thirty-Eight, it's scanning as Soulless One."_

Kit Fisto stopped mid-stride, and Boss' focus zeroed in on him. "You recognize the name, General?"

"The _Soulless One _is Grievous' ship," he replied, narrowing his eyes.

There was an instant of silence as the other commandos exchanged glances, and then Kit Fisto drew his lightsaber and smiled. "It would seem that Grievous is no longer on Rattatak."

Advisor spoke again. _"He's on a vector for the north landing pad."_

"Good," said Boss. "We might still have a chance of reaching the shuttle. Transmit the remaining demo charge positions to me."

_"Transmitting now. General, if I shut down all nonvital systems, I might be able to slow him enough for you to complete your objective."_

"An excellent idea – but be sure to leave the systems on this level running for now," Kit Fisto answered. "Once we get out, you can lock down the entire fortress."

_ "Will do, sir."_

Boss moved to the door. "Advisor, how long until the data transfer is complete?"

_"Four minutes. I'm looking for a good rendezvous point now."_

"Get into the shaft and climb down?" Boss suggested, a definite hint of a smirk in his voice. "It'll be safer than waiting for Grievous to find you."

_"I'll do that."_ Advisor's tone was not as sarcastic as Kit Fisto would have expected.

With that taken care of, the Jedi stood in the open doorway and waited while Scorch and Fixer set charges at either side of the hall they currently occupied.

Boss motioned to Sev. "Watch our backs," he said. "We'll finish this."

Sev nodded. He pulled two charges from his pack and marched over to Scorch, opening the other's backpack. "Hold still," he muttered, dumping them in. "Thirty-Eight wants you to carry these."

Scorch clicked the final few buttons with an added flourish. "Yes! _More _explosives!"

Kit Fisto watched the commandos, as he had been most of the time they'd been on Vassek III. Thus far, he hadn't added much to the mission. He swung his lightsaber idly, almost hoping that a MagnaGuard or two would come rushing out of the shadows that surrounded him. He knew he hadn't killed them all the last time he was here – so where were they?

The sense of oncoming danger pressed against the back of his mind, and he studied the narrow hallway. Grievous was most deadly in places like this, where there was no room for his enemies to dodge. The commandos would have a better chance of accomplishing their mission if Grievous was engaged elsewhere.

With a quick nod, Kit Fisto moved over to join the commando leader, who was studying a map on Fixer's datapad. "Sergeant," he said. "Would you and your team be able to escape on your own if I left to distract Grievous?"

The glowing visor stared at him for several long seconds before Boss' distinctive voice replied, "Most likely."

"I sense some hesitation from you," said Kit Fisto, in his most mysterious voice. Not that it took a Jedi to pick up on the careful way Boss had answered. He grinned, spoiling the effect.

The commando seemed not to notice. "We could do it, sir. But if Grievous came after us and ignored you, we'd probably be in over our heads."

"Hmm. You do have a point." Kit Fisto twirled his lightsaber, the familiar weight of the hilt reassuring. "Well, then. Where to next?"

The sergeant returned the datapad to Fixer. "Two adjoining rooms at this end, and then we can get out of here. Let's go, Deltas."

* * *

Rex sat up painfully, turning to catch his weight on his hands. The sand all around him was pitted and scarred from the battle, littered with the drab-clothed corpses of the enemy. There were no armored figures; he knew that this was a problem, but couldn't remember _why_. He blinked a few times and stared at the ground, trying to clear the spots from his vision.

The sand shifted just behind him. Someone gripped his shoulder, and he snatched at the person's hand, twisting it hard and using the leverage to get to his feet.

"Gah – REX!" Jesse knelt there, his free hand lifted to ward off the blow Rex was aiming at his eyes.

"Jesse." Rex released him, surprise making his voice sharp. "What did I tell you about sneaking up on me?"

He hadn't, actually, but Jesse only said, "Won't happen again, sir."

The adrenaline rush faded and was replaced by a wave of dizziness. Rex took a step back, then planted his hands on his belt, glanced around, and barked, "Sitrep!"

"Riiiight." Jesse got up and bent his wrist gingerly, testing to see that it wasn't broken. "A lot of us were taken captive. Kix and Gadget are watching the road, and Snap's checking the courtyard for survivors."

"Wait," said Rex. "Weren't Snap and Gadget on the ship?"

Jesse shrugged. "Last I remember."

The last thing Rex remembered was jumping off the boarding ramp of the _Twilight, _ and he was quite sure that both Snap and Gadget had been in the cargo hold at that point.

Well, first things first. He located his guns, which were absolutely covered in sand, and holstered them before checking the rest of the courtyard. Snap was wandering around, prodding at each body as he came to it with the end of his long blaster. Kix and Gadget were near what used to be the gate, watching the street.

The _Twilight_ was nowhere to be seen – hopefully, Oddball had gotten her out of range of any cannons. If he hadn't, they were down several good men _and_ their only ride off this dust ball of a planet.

Rex removed his helmet and attempted to clean out the ventilator, without much success. No wonder General Skywalker hated sand – the stuff got absolutely _everywhere_.

"So," said Jesse conversationally. "What's the plan?"

"The plan. . ." Rex gave up on his ventilator and checked his comlink. It seemed to be working, so he cleared his throat and said, "Kix, Gadget, Snap. Let's regroup."

As they approached, Rex noticed that Kix was moving carefully, left arm braced across his stomach. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Jesse.

"He landed wrong," the other clone said. "Broke his wrist."

Kix sighed. "_I_ landed fine, _Jesse_ landed on top of me."

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Well, sorry for being unconscious. . ."

"Captain," said Snap, saluting. "Two enemy survivors – I put a stun round in each of them. There are a lot of civilians outside the walls, but they're not approaching."

"Probably waiting for us to leave," said Rex. He'd seen this before, people waiting for the soldiers to move out so they could loot the dead from both armies. "Weapons?"

"Stun batons and blasters." Snap motioned to a small pile of weapons. "That's everything I've found so far."

"Good job," said Rex. "Now, what exactly are you doing down here?"

"Gadget and I were uninjured, so Wooley sent us after you. He and Switch scared off the rest of the enemy with the turrets, but most of our men had already been captured."

Rex frowned thoughtfully. "But we weren't."

"No, sir. I guess they thought it wasn't worth the risk once Wooley got those guns on them."

"That makes sense. But why'd they capture any of us in the first place?"

"Hostages, maybe," said Jesse.

Kix took off his helmet and ran a practiced eye over them. "Everyone all right?"

Rex nodded. "Looks like you're the only casualty this time."  
"Good," said Kix. "So, Captain, are we going after the generals?"

Rex glanced up at the sun. "General Kenobi and Cody should have been back a while ago."

"I checked the channels," said Snap. "They're not responding. Neither is General Skywalker, or any of the men who were caught."

"Okay," Rex said slowly. "Way I see it, we've got our work cut out for us."

"Yeah," said Jesse. "We'll probably find them the same place we find Dooku and Ventress."

Gadget, who had joined the 212th shortly after Fives and Echo had joined the 501st, glanced from Rex to Jesse and back, his eyes wide. "But – we can't fight them."

"Maybe not," said Rex. "But the Jedi can."

"But if they're captured, that means they already lost once," said Gadget with undeniable logic. He put his helmet back on.

"Stop _worrying_, kid," said Snap, stepping up beside him. "We'll find a way."

Gadget considered. "But what if we have to fight Dooku and Ventress to reach the generals?"

Snap let out an aggravated sigh and smacked him upside the helmet. "I _said, _stop worrying."

Gadget yelped and sidestepped. "Just asking!"

"All right," said Rex, lifting a hand. "Listen up. They're not likely to be in the castle, so does anyone have any idea where they _could _be?"

"It'll be a secure building," said Jesse.

"Probably nowhere easily accessible," Snap added.

"Gadget?" Rex glanced at him. "Anything useful in that arsenal of yours?"

The younger clone pulled a small device out of his utility belt. "Scanning for energy signatures won't be useful here," he said. "But maybe I could try a biometric scan."

"Too many humanoids around," Kix said, shaking his head.

"Try boosting our reception," said Jesse. "Maybe you can locate the others' comlinks, even if they're not able to use them."

"Good idea," said Rex, when Gadget nodded. "While he's doing that, the rest of you check the weapons Snap found. Might be something useful in there."

There were a couple of spare energy packs, but most of the guns were stun weapons only – with low charges, at that. Rex stood back and fired a few well-placed shots into the pile, nodding with satisfaction when it burst into flame.

No sense in leaving weapons for potential enemies, after all.

"I found something!" Gadget called. "I can only get a general direction, but they're somewhere_ that _way."

He pointed out the large gap that had been blown in the wall. Jesse boosted Rex up and he leaned his elbows against the crumbled top, peering through the electrobinoculars that Snap passed him. Mostly small apartments and narrow streets – there was nothing nearby that stood out. "Gadget, can you give me the distance?"

"Not an accurate one."

"Best estimate, then."

"About a kilometer."

Rex adjusted the range, and . . ._ there. _A long, wide building with guards at the doors. He checked once more to make sure there was nothing more likely, but that particular building stood out in the city like a cruiser among fighters.

"We've got a destination," he said, jumping down from Jesse's shoulders.

"Ow," said Jesse distractedly. "What's it look like?"

Rex considered. "It won't be easy," he said, clipping the electrobinoculars to his belt and taking his helmet from Kix. "On the other hand, there are only two guards outside."

"Good," said Snap. "You guys take one, I'll take the other."

"Want me to take point?" Gadget offered.

Rex tilted his head and smirked. "_I'm_ always first, kid."


	19. Chapter 19

General Fisto, his lightsaber humming as he moved, ran ahead of the commandos into the room that Boss had pointed out. "No enemies here," he called over his shoulder, shutting off his lightsaber. "Though it appears we have found that extra power generator."  
"Oh, good," said Scorch, hurrying past. "I'll blow it to bits."

Boss watched him, raising an eyebrow behind his helmet. "Fixer. How many charges do you have left?"

"Just one, sir."

"I'm out. And Scorch will have two left after this room."

Fixer turned to check the hall behind them. "Will we need more?"

"Not for the mission," Boss said. "But I don't like the idea of escaping while Grievous still has a working ship. Completing the mission will be no good to us if we get killed on the way out."

"We could use a few thermals on it," Fixer suggested.

Boss nodded. "Let's keep it in mind, anyway."

"All set here," Scorch reported.

Kit Fisto moved past him, his long tunic swishing around his knees. "I'll check the last room," he announced. "Something is wrong."

Boss felt his eyebrows lift. "Besides the fact that Grievous is here?"

"There is danger _here_," the Jedi Master insisted, edging along the wall as he neared the wide, dark doorway. "I do not think it is Grievous."

Thirty-Eight glanced at his tactical display, at the indicator that showed where Sev stood on guard, some twenty meters away. All of Boss' survival instincts were tingling, and he'd learned never to ignore them. "Sev, form up."

_"Yes, sir."_

"The room is empty," the general said slowly. He glanced back at the commandos, the pale light casting strange shadows over his green face. "But there's something near . . . We must be careful."

Boss nodded to him and lifted his rifle to ready position. "All right, let's get to it, Deltas. Keep your eyes open."

They moved into the high-ceilinged room, Sev and Scorch turning to either side while Thirty-Eight and Fixer covered the center of the room. Sure enough, it was completely empty. No crates or storage racks, which was strange in and of itself. Why would such a huge room be empty?

Scorch seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Hey, maybe Grievous uses this for practicing with his lightsabers."

"On what?" Fixer said critically, lowering his gun and pulling the last detpack from his belt.

Sev stood between Fixer and Scorch, facing outwards. The general was just inside the door, his large eyes a dark shade of purple as he carefully studied every corner of the room. Boss checked his tactical display again, then his chrono. Advisor should be checking in any second now.

"One to go," said Scorch, running across the room to the third wall. Fixer rejoined the others, examining his datapad one last time before slipping it into his pack.

General Fisto, his posture tense and alert, looked suddenly at the ceiling.

Boss eyed him for a moment, then swapped the attachment on his DC-17 to sniper configuration. There was nothing here, so whatever danger they were in would be coming towards them, down the long hall that was their escape route. Best get as many enemies as possible before they got near enough to hit the det packs.

_I don't fancy getting killed by our own explosives._

The comms clicked. Advisor's alarmed voice came through. _"Deltas! I've got the data, but Grievous is headed straight for the control room! I'm locking everything d –"_

His voice cut off in a shrill burst of static.

Boss raised his hand, signaling for the others to form up.

The room shook. Sev stepped back toward the wall and dropped to one knee, facing the door. A low, loud roar vibrated through the air.

General Fisto's eyes widened in alarm, and he spread his hands to either side, shouting, "Look out!"

An invisible blow hit Thirty-Eight in the chest, shoving him back towards the wall beside Fixer as Scorch and Sev were thrown in the opposite direction. He caught himself against the wall with one hand as a grinding sound filled the room.

General Fisto jumped backward to land in front of Sev. His lightsaber cast a green gleam through the sudden curtain of dust that fell as the ceiling split in two and retracted into either wall.

"Don't move!" commanded the general, his usually mellow voice gone sharp and low. "Stay quiet."

He deactivated his lightsaber.

Boss tilted his head back carefully. Half of the ceiling had disappeared, leaving a ledge about four meters wide on either side of the room. On the ledge opposite him, above Sev, Scorch, and General Fisto, stood a massive, crouching shape, barely discernible in the shadows. A huge, clawed arm reached out to clutch at the wall, and another roar vibrated the air.

Beside him, Fixer drew in his breath quickly.

Delta Thirty-Eight leaned further back into the shadows and looked over at Sev and Scorch. They and the general were indistinct shapes in the shadows – except for the commandos' glowing visors, which were focused on something above Boss and Fixer.

_Hm. I guess we'll have to deal with those creatures after all._

"Deltas," he said quietly. "Keep your heads down. Your visors will attract attention."

They half-turned to the wall, tilting their heads toward the floor.

"Boss," muttered Sev. "What's the plan?"

Thirty-Eight cast a quick glance around the room. "If we can make it to the door, we should be okay. Stay close to the wall."

Scorch dropped into a half-crouch and moved stealthily along the back wall until he reached the corner. When he reached it, he waited as first Sev, and then General Fisto, repeated the maneuver.

Whatever the creature was, Boss thought, it was big, and it was being dangerously quiet. Watching them? Or was it somehow unaware of their presence? _Not likely. _

"General Fisto," he murmured. "What is that creature?"

The Nautolan peered upward before lifting his comlink to his mouth. "I've never seen either of them, but I think the one across from you is a rancor –"

Another bellowing roar, much lower than the first, cut off his words. The walls shook again, and Boss put out a hand to steady himself.

"Judging by the size, it's a bull rancor," Fixer said warningly. "Those things are nasty."

"We're running out of time . . ." Scorch added in a sing-song voice, but his movements were slow and careful as he moved along the side wall.

Sev followed. He turned, ready to cover the Jedi's movements, but General Fisto spoke again. "Get to the door, Oh-Seven."

Fixer tapped Thirty-Eight's arm, gestured with two fingers at the creature across the room, and lifted a sonic detonator in his left hand. Boss considered for a moment, then made a slicing motion with his hand.

Fixer nodded and replaced the grenade.

"General," Boss said. "This is no time for heroics."

The Jedi completely ignored his words. "You and Fixer get out first."

Boss leaned forward, tracking Scorch and Sev's progress. When they were a couple meters from the door, he moved, inching his way to the left, all his senses focused on the looming threat just over their heads.

A flash of light caught the commandos by surprise as the glowpanels around the ceiling's perimeter activated. They shut off the low light settings on their helmets just as another light flickered, this one red and accompanied by a harsh crackle. Something was shocking the creatures away from the wall.

Thirty-Eight slowed, gesturing for Fixer to move ahead of him.  
Twin roars sounded, vying for supremacy. Slow, pounding footfalls above them caused a cascade of dust and tiny pebbles. Something slammed into the floor behind Thirty-Eight with an earth-shaking _thud_, and Scorch shouted, "Boss!"

Boss ducked just before something caught him in the shoulder, spinning him away from the cover of the wall. He hit the ground and rolled, aware that his three companions were shooting. Getting to one knee, he lifted his gun to his shoulder.

A massive shape filled his vision, and he sent a sniper round into it as he scrambled to his feet. He needed distance – he took a step back. Something closed around him, forcing his right arm across his chest, and lifted him into the air.

Boss stabbed his vibroblade into the creature's forearm once, then again. Another roar vibrated in his ears, and the pressure around him increased suddenly, crushing his arm. He clung to the rifle and twisted, trying to gain enough space to free it.

"Hey!" yelled Scorch. "Put him down, you filthy – agh!"

Over the clawed fingers that wrapped across his chest, Boss saw Scorch get knocked across the room and slam into the wall. "Stay _back_, commandos!" he snapped, jerking again at his blaster.

General Fisto sprinted across the room and disappeared behind the monster. "Try to distract it!" he called.

Sev ran sideways, firing continuously, the blue lasers missing Boss by mere centimeters. The rancor turned slowly and took a step toward him.

Fixer stood directly in the center of the floor and armed a grenade. "Flashbang!" he warned, flinging it directly at the rancor's face.

Thirty-Eight shut his eyes and turned his head, but the brilliant flurry of clinging sparks still blinded him momentarily. The creature holding him bellowed and reared back, swinging both arms out.

When Boss' vision cleared, he found himself staring directly into the red eyes and massive scaled face of the bull rancor. He jerked again against the clutching claws, but his numb fingers lost their grip, and the blaster clattered to the stones below.

The rancor roared, its yellowed fangs dripping.

Boss stared implacably back at it and flexed his left wrist. "Come on, you scaled monster. . . Come and get me."

The beast shoved him towards its gaping mouth. At the last possible instant, Boss twisted sideways and kicked out, braced one foot against either jaw and leaned back, knees locked. If his guess was right –

It was. The rancor pushed harder, brutishly intent on crushing its prey into its mouth. Boss bent his knees suddenly and swung his left arm straight into the side of the creature's face. His vibroblade pierced the thinner scales of its face easily, and he pulled back, readying another blow.

A flicker of green light, accompanied by a distinctive hum, heralded the arrival of the Jedi, who soared into the air and landed on the rancor's head just above Boss. Balancing easily, Fisto stabbed his glowing blade straight through the rancor's skull.

The monster swayed, rumbling low in its chest, and the clutching fingers around Thirty-Eight's chest loosened. Boss slipped sideways. His left hand caught at one of the horny growths on the creature's lower jaw and he clung to it, still trapped, with the stone floor a full four meters below.

"Hold on!" shouted the general.

_Wasn't planning on letting go. . . _

Kit Fisto jumped down and his lightsaber pierced the rancor's forearm. The claws tightened briefly before falling away. The rancor took a faltering step forward and reached for the Jedi. General Fisto wavered and jumped clear.

Delta Thirty-Eight gritted his teeth, weight hanging from his left hand, and fumbled with numb fingers, trying to get enough of a hold to swing himself clear of the monster.

Sev's gravelly voice sounded in his ear. "Hold on, sir."

A cable imbedded itself in the rancor's neck with a soft _thud _just as Thirty-Eight's fingers slipped from their grip. He caught the cable and slid down, throwing himself into a sideways roll as he hit the ground.

The rancor's body collapsed, one clawed hand falling just beside him. Thirty-Eight jumped up, pistol pointed at the rancor's head, but there was no need. The red eyes were dull and lifeless, the huge jaws slack.

"Deltas, report," he said breathlessly, glancing at his three squad mates as they approached. "Anyone injured?"

"Nothing serious." Scorch hefted his pack higher on his shoulders, wincing. "But – I could do without a repeat."

Sev came over and held out Boss' rifle, which he accepted with a nod. "Nice work, Oh-Seven. Anyone see where the other creature went?"

"It's on the second level," General Fisto said from the doorway. "And Grievous, apparently, is on the first."

"We can use the shaft to bypass the second level," Fixer suggested.

Thirty-Eight considered as he switched his sniper attachment out for the blaster. He clipped the rifle to his belt and moved his right arm, testing the range of motion. Nothing seemed broken, so he pulled up the schematics on his HUD and studied them for a long moment.

"General," he said. "We might need you to engage Grievous after all."

The Jedi smiled darkly. "I'll be glad to."

"All right, squad, let's move," Boss said, gesturing to the others. "We've got to get Advisor – and the data – back to the shuttle before anything else happens."


	20. Chapter 20

The door to Obi-Wan's cell sprang open, and two Twi'lek entered, dragging a 501st trooper between them. They tossed him on the floor and stood aside as two more clones were shoved in.  
Obi-Wan waited calmly until the guards left, shutting the door behind them; then he moved over to join the new prisoners. Echo was crouched beside the unconscious trooper, but when he caught sight of Obi-Wan, his eyes widened and he jumped up to snap a salute. "General!"

"At ease," Obi-Wan said automatically. He knelt and rolled the unconscious clone onto his back. Greying hair and a lean face – it was Namer, one of Anakin's best troopers.

Flash pushed himself stiffly away from the wall, a large bruise purpling one cheekbone. "I think they hit him with a stun round again."  
"He doesn't seem to be injured," agreed Obi-Wan, sitting back on his heels. "Flash, what happened? Did Ventress escape?"  
"I don't know for sure, General. We were under attack – Weequay and Twi'lek, mostly. Captain Rex was trying to get the ship off the ground when I got hit."

Obi-Wan took a few moments to process this. "I take it Anakin wasn't there?"

"No, sir," Flash said, confused.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Dooku must have known they wouldn't get there in time."

"They, sir?" asked Echo.

"Anakin and Cody. I was hoping they'd be able to prevent Ventress' escape."

"At least they're free," said Echo optimistically. "I'm sure General Skywalker will be able to do something."

Flash, however, looked uncertain, a sentiment with which Obi-Wan found himself agreeing. Anakin was known across the galaxy for his skill in battle, but even he couldn't take on Dooku and Ventress together_ and_ manage to survive.

Of course, he'd probably try anyway.

Namer groaned, propped himself up on one elbow, and glanced around. "What . . ."

Flash regarded him for an instant, then reached down and pulled him, none too gently, to his feet. "That was stupid of you."

Namer raised an eyebrow at him and did not deign to reply, instead leaning back against the wall to rub at his temples.

Obi-Wan waited.

Sure enough, Namer's nonchalance seemed to annoy Flash, who was known for his hot temper. He muttered a few choice words.

"Come on, Flash," said Echo, ever the peacemaker. "It was only a stun round."

"Yeah, but he didn't know that!" The irate clone glared. "I was _fine._ There were only three of 'em!"

Of course, it was at that moment that he took a step forward and stumbled.

"I think your nose is broken," said Echo helpfully.

Flash growled under his breath, gritted his teeth, and reset his nose with a jerk.

"I suggest you sit down," said Obi-Wan. "And let's think of some way to get out of –"

A familiar presence entered his mind, and he stared into space. _Oh, it can't be. . ._

The three clones watched him warily.

"Uh – General?" said Echo.

Obi-Wan shook his head, a tinge of exasperation coloring his voice. "Anakin didn't get away at all. He's _here_."

* * *

Anakin woke to an odd prickling sensation on his face that was strangely annoying, considering the pounding headache that drowned out most other sensations. When he finally managed to force his eyes open, it was to find himself face to face with a tiny, lizard-like creature whose long blue antenna were poking at his face.

He jerked back, brushing at his cheek. "Hey, get off!"

The creature chirped indignantly, scurried across the stone floor and out through a tiny hole in the wall.

Anakin stared at the hole, then let his gaze travel slowly up the wall to the barred door. He groaned at the realization that he was in a cell again; then he tried to sit up and groaned again. Everything hurt – well, everything hurt _more_ than it had the last time he woke up in a cell.

"Cody?" he grunted, using the wall for support as he got shakily to his feet.

Cody was half-kneeling a few feet away, one hand braced against the wall and the other against the floor. He glanced up without moving his head. "General Skywalker."  
Anakin staggered in place and gave a sympathetic smirk. "You look like Obi-Wan does after a forced landing."

Cody grimaced, his face pale. "Yeah. . . I could use an antiemetic about now."

Standing did not seem to be a good idea, so Anakin slumped back to the ground and ran a hand through his hair.

When he realized that there was nothing else to do at the moment, Anakin decided to talk. At least he could keep Cody's mind off his sickness, and his own mind off the fact that his head was about to split open. _Stupid stun batons_.

"We must have been captured by that Twi'lek again," he said. "One of those thugs mentioned Saresh. . ." Then the realization hit him. "If Dooku had us recaptured, Obi-Wan might have let himself be caught for nothing!"

Forgetting his weakness, he got up and stumbled to the door. The cell they currently occupied was larger than the last had been, but apart from that he discovered nothing new. There were no guards, and the hallway was completely empty.

Anakin returned to his place and slumped down. "When we get out of here . . ." he muttered, clenching a fist. "He probably _knew_ it was a trap and walked in anyway!"

"Why would he do that, sir?" Cody got to his knees and pressed the back of one hand against his mouth.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out."

"Maybe –" Cody stopped, swallowing hard. "Maybe Dooku had nothing to do with it."

"Yeah, right." Anakin paused. "Why do you say that?"

"General Kenobi would never have agreed to Dooku's terms unless he thought Dooku was telling the truth."

Anakin may have been feeling uncharitable toward his old master, but he had to admit that Cody was probably right. "Well – yeah, but maybe Dooku was telling the truth. He only promised to release us, and he did that. He probably just had us recaptured after."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Cody said, sitting back on his heels. "But what if it wasn't Dooku?"

"Then it was Saresh. But why would Saresh want us? What good would a Jedi be to him?"

"Maybe he wants to sell us to the Seps. A general and a commander –"

Anakin glanced at Cody's uniform. "Wait. You're not wearing your rank bars – how would Dooku know you're a commander?"

"We've run into each other in the past," replied Cody.

"Oh." Anakin let out his breath quietly. "Upcoming attacks, battle formations, transmission codes. . . They probably think they can get all kinds of information out of us."

Cody replied with casual surety. "They won't, sir."

Anakin snorted and examined the bandage around his left forearm. One thing about the clones – they were always extremely confident in their knowledge of their own abilities and limitations. But Anakin had seen the results of Separatist interrogations before, and he had no desire to have his or Cody's limits tested.

_ Not like either of us has a choice in the matter_, he thought irritatedly.

Outside, a door hissed open, and footsteps sounded purposefully on the stones, drawing nearer.

". . . Maybe it's Obi-Wan?" Anakin suggested.

Cody looked respectfully dubious.

The footsteps stopped just outside their door. An accented voice said, "Jedi Skywalker? Ah, good, you're both awake."

"Saresh." Anakin got up. "No thanks to you."

"I _would_ have killed you," Tar Saresh said apologetically. "But that would have destroyed your usefulness."

Anakin exchanged a grim look with Cody and moved towards the door. "Who paid you to catch us, Saresh?"

"No one, yet." The orange Twi'lek smiled. "I'm sure I'll be able to find a buyer for whomever survives tonight's contests, though."

"_Contests? _What are you talking about?"

"This is the Cauldron, Jedi Skywalker. What did you expect?"

Cody had gotten to his feet by now, and he stepped up beside Anakin. "What, exactly, is the Cauldron?"

"Ah, you _do_ speak!" Tar Saresh looked mildly interested, but before he could continue, a small device on his belt beeped twice. He drew his gun. "Here come the others. Get back against the wall."

Anakin paced to the opposite wall and leaned against it, followed by Cody.

Tar Saresh opened the door as a small group of people came up behind him. His weapon and his eyes focused steadily on Anakin, who chafed at the forced inaction. He could do nothing except glare poisonously, and Saresh completely ignored his obvious bad temper.

The Twi'lek stepped to one side, still watching his prisoners, and two guards forced a clone into the cell. His struggles against the guards stopped when Saresh fired a shot into the floor near Anakin's feet.

Anakin caught sight of a blue mark across one side of the trooper's helmet. "Trap?"

". . . Yes, General." Trap sounded profoundly displeased.

One of Obi-Wan's troopers was pushed in, and the door shut behind him. Tar Saresh activated a ray shield as he followed the guards down the hall. "I'll return soon."

Anakin glared at his back. "Looking forward to it," he muttered.

Cody stepped towards their new cellmates. "Ghost, what happened?"

Ghost – who, like most of the 212th clones, had a regulation haircut and no tattoos – turned to his commanding officer. "We were attacked, sir. Approximately fifty men stormed the walls. Echo and I were on sniper duty. We'd just been ordered to return to the ship when . . ." He glanced questioningly at Trap.

"Eh, the wall exploded." Trap shrugged. "And I got hit right after, so I don't know what happened to the ship. Sorry, sir."

Ghost studied the ray shield for a moment before glancing at Anakin. "General, do you have any idea what's going on?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Anakin said, folding his arms. "There was a large pit in that room Dooku was in. I think this might be an arena."

Cody narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Saresh mentioned contests –"

"Exactly. There were pits just like that on Tatooine. They'd put creatures in them, or combatants. The fights were always a big attraction."  
"Hmm," said Cody. "Sounds. . . interesting."

"That's one way to put it." Anakin paced the room. "If I'm right, _we're_ going to be the big attraction tonight."

Trap removed his helmet and tucked it under one arm. "Yeah, but against what?"

The Jedi shrugged. "It could be anyone, or any_thing_."  
"We won't be the only ones in there, though," said Ghost. "I saw some of the others before we were brought down here."  
Anakin perked up. "Others?"

"Waxer, Boil, Fives and Det. They got brought to a different hall, though."

Anakin felt the momentary flash of hope fade. Obi-Wan obviously wasn't with the other prisoners, and while the clones were capable warriors, they wouldn't have a chance against Force-users – especially not without weapons.

If Ventress was one of the opposing combatants, tonight's _contest_ would turn out to be more of a mass execution. He frowned. There was nothing he could do, but maybe there was something his master could do. . . Assuming, of course, that Anakin could locate him.

He knelt, bowing his head as he opened his mind to the Force. It still seemed vague and distant, but somewhere at the edge of his mind, he could feel Obi-Wan's presence. It was. . . He closed his eyes, concentrating.

Oh. Obi-Wan was safe, but annoyed. At him.

Well, at least that situation was familiar, if not reassuring.

He felt the clones watching him and glanced up. "Do you men have anything useful with you?"

"Just our armor," Trap replied, and Ghost nodded in confirmation.

"Which means that these contests aren't going to be simple hand-to-hand," Cody surmised. "Anything we can do to prepare, General?"

"No," said Anakin grimly, moving back to the door. "We _could_ try to grab Saresh when he comes to get us. . . But until that happens, we're stuck here."


	21. Chapter 21

Rex crouched just inside the castle gate, studying the busy streets that the clones would have to maneuver through. Dozens of humans and humanoids moved back and forth, interspersed here and there with more unusual species. Three Besalisks left a building just across the road, arguing loudly and each gesticulating with four arms at once.

“I’d hate to be hit by one of those guys,” commented Jesse, from where he was peering out through a sizable crack.

Rex moved back into the shadows, privately thinking the same thing. “Snap, any ideas on how to get through the streets without being seen?”

Snap considered for approximately half a second. “Wait for the sun to set.”  
“Yeah.” Rex gave him a wry look. “Except, in a place like this, the streets might be busier at night.”

“We could keep to the side streets and alleyways,” Gadget suggested. “I’ll work out a route while we’re waiting.”

“You have the city schematics?”

“Yes, sir. Commander Cody had me pull a copy from the local network before landing.”

_That sounds like the commander. _Rex glanced up at the sun, calculating. Rattatak had a rotation of thirty-five standard hours, which meant they still had at least seven hours to wait. But they couldn’t stay in the courtyard; it was too exposed. He turned to the castle, and the others followed his gaze.

Jesse hummed thoughtfully. “It _is _the last place they’d expect us to be.”

“Let’s check it out,” Rex decided.

Snap moved to the gate and leaned against it, peering cautiously out. A moment later, he brought one hand down in a sharp gesture, and Gadget and Jesse broke from cover, running across the sand to the wide open front doors. Rex and Kix followed, then Snap. After a final glance behind them, they slipped into the wide, cool hallway.

No one was in sight, so Rex lowered his pistols a bit. “Okay, hall’s empty. Stay close. Let’s see what we can do while waiting.”  
  


* * *

The commandos climbed quietly up the shaft behind General Fisto. They were halfway to the top when Thirty-Eight braced himself against the shaft’s durasteel wall and signaled a pause. It would be best if they knew the situation on the first level before entering it.

He was about to check his sensors when the general gestured urgently for his attention. “Sergeant! Hurry!”

Boss swung away from the wall, kicked off the stone, and retracted his cable. “Move it, Deltas.”

“Large heat signature approaching,” reported Fixer.

From below him, Scorch snorted. “Yeah, I really didn’t want to know that.”

Boss came to a halt beside the general, who had paused just a few meters beneath the opening that led to what had been Grievous’ storage room. The Nautolan held his cable with one hand and his lightsaber with the other; he looked ready to spring into action at any instant.

Fixer joined them. Scorch had just passed the opening to the second level. Sev was centimeters behind him – and, in the opening next to him, something moved. Boss switched on night vision and raised his gun.

“Behind you, Oh-Seven,” Fixer said urgently.

Boss shifted his weight to one side, trying to gain a clear shot.

Sev steadied his cable with one hand, detaching something from his belt as he slowed. “Move it,” he growled at Scorch. “I’ll need some room.”

He stopped, allowing Scorch to take larger jumps.

The thing in the doorway moved again. A huge arm reached into the shaft, groping upward. Four clawed fingers closed on empty air, scraping against the opposite wall, before feeling their way upward.

Boss aimed past the sniper’s head. “Sev –”

“I’ve got this, sir.” Sev kicked the wall, then swung to brace against the opposite corner as the claws moved in the direction of the noise. Sev carefully tossed a sonic at one of them, then retracted his cable at a dangerous speed, coming to a halt right before he would have slammed into Fixer.

The sonic detonated, and the walls of the shaft seemed to bow inward. The hand, minus one of the long claws, was jerked back, and the monster let out a strange, screaming roar.

When the noise had finally faded, there was a long moment of silence, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps gradually drawing farther away. Fixer tilted his head in a way that meant he was analyzing something. “It has six legs?”

“No,” said Scorch, hooking his gun onto his belt. “It has two legs and four arms. The arms all have claws twice the length of the hands. And before you ask – no, it’s not a gundark.”

Sev glanced down at the empty shaft. “Any idea what it is?”

“Must be some sort of subterranean creature,” Fixer guessed.

“Whatever it is, it’s gone for now,” Boss said calmly, steering the conversation back to the mission. “We’ll stay here a minute. Let’s figure out what the situation is on the first level. Fixer, see if you can locate Advisor’s transmission signature.”

“Yes, Three-Eight.”  
“Sergeant,” the general said in a low voice. “If we find Grievous, I will keep him busy while you complete the mission. If I can keep him inside long enough, we might be able to bring this place down on top of him.”

“Roger that, General.”

“Sir,” said Fixer. “I can’t locate Advisor’s transmitter, but there are droid signatures in the supply room. One of them is registering as a droid _and _a biological.”

“Grievous,” said General Fisto, clenching his lightsaber. “How many droids?”

“Ten, sir, all across the room from the shaft.”

Boss considered. They wouldn’t have the element of surprise for more than a couple of seconds. Ten B1s wouldn’t be a problem, but ten supers –

“I’ll go first,” he said, glancing at the general for permission. “Let’s see what we’re up against.”

General Fisto nodded. Boss grabbed onto Sev’s cable while he freed and then reattached his own so that it wouldn’t tangle with the others.

Climbing hand over hand, he made his way up and peered carefully over the top. It was hard to see anything over the wreckage of the supply shelves and replacement limbs, and the opposite doorway was mostly blocked from view, but he could see three droids.

He climbed back down. “At least three are supers,” he said. “I think one of us should be able to get up without being seen. I’ll throw a few ECs. That should keep them occupied. Scorch – anti-armor.”

“You got it, Boss.” Scorch quickly switched to the dumbfire weapon’s attachment and readjusted his cable.

Before either of them had taken more than a step, a harsh voice echoed down to them. “Activate my MagnaGuards! We must find and kill the Jedi!”

General Fisto climbed swiftly to the top, and Boss and Scorch followed, coming to a halt just below the edge.

Grievous was still speaking. “Fisto is here. _You_ are going to tell me what he is doing.”

To Thirty-Eight’s surprise, Advisor, his voice a little hoarse, answered, “You’ll be waiting a long time.”

“Oh, I don’t think so! Droid!”

A robotic voice spoke in a prissy, sing-song tone. “I would answer, if I were you.”

“Running thermal scan,” Fixer said. “He’s just inside the opposite doorway with another droid.”

Boss put the EC detonator back on his belt. _Time for a new plan_. “General, can you take down those supers?”

“Easily,” the Nautolan replied. He hesitated for just an instant before saying, “You’ll need to distract Grievous for a few seconds, though.”

“Okay. Scorch, I want an anti-armor round against the adjacent wall. Give the general an opening.” He double-checked his blaster’s ammo. “I think I’ll go have a talk with Grievous.”

There was a half-second of surprised silence. “Sir –” Fixer stopped as Advisor let out a sharp yell.

General Grievous coughed loudly. “Where is Fisto?”

“CC Oh-One slash Four-Two-Five,” Advisor replied.

_“Where is Fisto?” _

Boss pointed two fingers at the entrance. “Let’s move, Deltas.”

Scorch climbed out, staying on his knees, and turned to pull Boss up. The other two commandos crouched beneath the pile of twisted metal that took up the center of the room. General Fisto knelt beside them, waiting tensely.

When everyone was in position, Scorch fired a round against the far wall. Almost before it exploded, Boss had moved in the opposite direction and was stepping into the open to cast a quick glance around.

Ten super battle droids marched hurriedly in the direction of the explosion. Behind them, just inside the doorway, stood a medical droid. Advisor was on his hands and knees beside it, his helmet gone. His eyes widened as he caught sight of Boss.

Grievous, who had been looming over them both with his hands locked behind his back, turned to face Thirty-Eight.

“Grievous,” said Boss in a neutral tone. “Do you like how we rearranged your supplies?”

“Well! A clone _commando_.” Grievous drew two lightsabers, peering suspiciously from side to side. “Where is your squad?”

Boss lifted one hand in a casual shrug and let it fall back to his side. “What makes you think I have one?” 

Grievous’ yellow eyes narrowed to slits. Thirty-Eight whipped his gun to his shoulder and fired a quick burst. The cyborg jumped aside and coughed violently. The armor on one side of his face plate had been peeled away, and the area around his eye was blackened with a laser burn.

Boss sent another flurry of lasers at him.

Grievous leapt forward, lightsabers slashing viciously one after the other. Boss dodged, ducked back around the metal racks, dropped to the floor, and fired his ascension cable into the opposite wall. Grievous’ full weight hit the cable, and Boss nearly lost his hold on the blaster. He detached the cable and rolled aside, out of range of Fixer’s EC grenade.

With a growl of fury, Grievous jumped onto the wall, clinging to it like a spider. The waves of pulsing electricity missed him, but the sniper round Sev fired did not. Reeling from the layered attack, Grievous retreated along the wall.

“Keep at him, squad!” Fixer called, running forward.

The medical droid squeaked in alarm. “Master, look! A Jedi!”

A flash of green light and motion on the other side of the room caught Boss’ attention. He stopped short, raising a fist. “Hold it, Deltas!”

The Jedi Master slashed his way through the last super battle droid and called with a grin, “Grievous! I thought you were looking for me?”

Grievous’ arms split in two and he drew four lightsabers, igniting them one after the other. “_Fisto. . ._ I hoped you would return! I will kill you the way I killed your Jedi apprentice!”

General Fisto paced forward, mouth set in a grim line, and swept his hand forward, then back. A small hold-out blaster flew from behind Grievous’ back, and the Jedi sliced it in half as it sped past him. “I think not.”

Grievous slowly spun his lightsabers, increasing speed until they were mere blurs of light and color.

Scorch stared at the whirling blades and lowered his gun slightly. “Umm. . .”

“We’ve got to get to the doorway,” Boss said. “Sev, give General Fisto an opening.”

Sev took a step to the left and put a shot in Grievous’ knee joint.

The Jedi lunged forward. “Get to the doors!”

“Sir, we’ve got incoming,” Fixer reported quickly, tilting his head in the direction of the hallway.

Thirty-Eight ran around the back of the room, the others following closely. As he rounded the corner of the storage rack, he caught sight of Advisor, still kneeling just inside the doorway. In front of him, the odd-looking medical droid watched the lightsaber duel, bouncing up and down and letting out inarticulate noises of excitement.

“That med droid is – strange,” Sev said, sounding disturbed. He aimed, but before he could fire, Advisor had drawn a thin vibroblade from behind his back, lurched forward, and severed the medical droid’s head neatly.

_Well, that_ _was . . . unexpected. _

Rapid metallic footsteps sounded outside, and Boss pointed to the hall. “Oh-Seven, Six-Two, clear a path.”

They ran to either side of the door, firing as they moved. Red lasers flew between them, spattering and pinging against the metal walls. Boss kicked the remains of the med droid aside and hauled Advisor out of the line of fire. “Do you have the data?” he demanded.

Advisor shook his head. “I hid it in the control room.”

“Fixer, take point.” Boss glanced at the Jedi, who was a blur of motion as he attacked Grievous, and raised his voice. “General! We’re heading for the control room.”

At first he thought he hadn’t been heard, but then the Jedi leapt into the air and backflipped, landing a few feet away from the commandos. He twirled his lightsaber hilt around one hand, rebalancing himself as Grievous charged. “I’ll cover you. Hurry!”

Fixer was already halfway down the hall, Sev and Scorch flanking him. Boss had reached the next hallway when he realized that the other clone had stopped and was leaning heavily against the wall. He turned back. “Advisor, we’re running out of time!”

Advisor hesitated before replying in his usual matter-of-fact tone. “That droid injected me with something. Get to the control room. The data is hidden inside the new power core’s casing.”

Clanking sounded at the door as a lone droid wandered in, late to the battle. Boss absently put a few rounds through its metallic brain while checking over his shoulder for enemies. Keeping half his attention on the sounds of the duel behind him, he drew his pistol and handed it to Advisor. “We need to move fast,” he said, putting his free hand beneath the other’s elbow. “So you’d better not pass out.”

Advisor gave a wry grimace and shoved himself away from the wall. “Understood, Thirty-Eight.”


	22. Chapter 22

Rex led the others down the hallway, their boots clacking against the polished wood. As he had expected, the castle was almost completely abandoned. A few Twi'lek and humans, presumably servants, remained, but the clones had been able to avoid detection without effort. They were nearing the last room on the upper floor of the castle when Rex paused. The wooden door ahead of them was ajar.

Jesse edged over, kicked it open and stepped in before the door could bounce closed. "No one here."

"Well, look at this," Snap said, gesturing at the computer station in the corner of the large room. "Everything's up and running. We can probably do some damage from here."

"Yeah," said Rex. "But first we're doing some reconnaissance."

Their careful search turned up only one camera, which Gadget promptly dropped on the floor and crushed.

Rex checked the hallway one more time and shut the door. "As long as we're quiet, we should be fine," he said, taking off his helmet. "Jesse, what've we got?"

Jesse, who was tapping away at the computer station, looked up. "Not much. This seems to be for the servants' use. Supply orders, duty roster . . . And it looks like Ventress sends a notification to the servants whenever she plans on staying at the castle."

"Well, that's useless," Snap said, nudging him aside and pulling up a different screen. "Hmm, no unofficial outward communications enabled through this terminal. We can change that. . . Captain, do you want us to try contacting General Kenobi?"

"Not through there. Ventress might seem to have lousy security, but she's probably got some way of tracing system usage."

"Yeah." Snap smirked. "Though she'll be out cold for at least another hour, thanks to your medic."

Kix, on the other side of the room, gingerly removed his vambrace and dropped it beside his gauntlet. "Don't count on it. I've seen Jedi burn through sedatives before."

He glanced up at Rex, a glint of humor entering his eyes. Rex gave him a pointed look. Yes, General Skywalker had tried sneaking out of med bay once too often. Yes, he had been shocked to discover that Kix had figured out his little Force-trick and given him a double dosage.

Rex felt his lips twitch. General Skywalker had shouted in disbelief, horrified. _"All that time wasted _sleeping!_ We have missions to plan, Kix!"_ Kix, confident in his authority as company medic, had been respectfully unrepentant. General Kenobi had stood smugly on the sidelines, quietly approving – at least, until he saw his own 212th medic standing by, expression interested as he filed away what he'd just learned about Force-users.

Snap and Gadget were glancing between Kix and Jesse, probably hoping for the story behind their grins, so Rex cleared his throat purposefully. "Better see to that wrist, Kix. Snap, you're on lookout duty."

He moved to the computer and stared at the screen. "Any way we can use this to gain intel?"

"Not without setting off an alert," Jesse replied, and Gadget nodded.

Snap glanced out the door. "The _Twilight _could safely access the local network."

"Good idea." After a moment's consideration, Rex switched his comlink's scramble set and ordered the others to do the same. It was a safe bet that the captive clones no longer had their comlinks, which meant the pirates would be listening in. He waited until the indicator blinked green. "_Twilight, _come in. This is Captain Rex."

A few seconds of silence passed before a distinctive voice replied. _"Oddball here, Captain."_

"We're in the castle. What's your position?"

_"Three klicks east of the city. The spaceport officials contacted us. We had to leave the atmosphere or land. Airspace hazard."_

Well, that at least made some amount of sense. Not enough, though. "Keep your eyes open," Rex said. "They know the Republic's here."

_"Will do, sir. Have you located the others?"_

"I'm not sure."

Gadget opened the city schematics on his datapad and zoomed in on the large building near the castle. "Want me to patch it through, sir?"

Rex nodded and turned back to his comlink. "We need to know what this building is used for."

_"One moment."_ The transmission cut off.

Kix had finished strapping his wrist up and was returning his supplies to his medpack. Rex ordered everyone to see to their blasters – the sand probably wouldn't harm them, but there was no point in taking chances.

He was reassembling his first pistol when the comlink beeped. Rex answered immediately. "What'd you find out, Oddball?"

_ "Captain, that building is known as the Cauldron. It's a public arena. Wooley's been sweeping the channels for –" _

Someone interrupted him. There was a hurried conversation, then Wooley's voice broke in. _"Captain Rex. Better listen to this, sir. An announcement from some Twi'lek named Tar Saresh. He's listed as owner of the Cauldron."_

The other four clones stilled abruptly, looking up. The comlink fizzled with static, and then a voice spoke. _"My fellow citizens! I am pleased to announce that a special event will take place tonight at the thirty-second hour. The Cauldron has never had such dangerous guests before! Two Jedi were captured today by Asajj Ventress. These Jedi were leading Republic troops – _Republic troops!_ – into Heela, invading our territory despite their promises of neutrality!"_

Gadget glanced from Snap to Rex in obvious confusion. Jesse leaned forward, fully focused on the accented voice, and Kix frowned.

_ "Count Dooku has generously agreed that they will be dealt with according to Rattatakian tradition. The Jedi and their men have been condemned!"_

The voice cut off in a wild burst of cheering – obviously prerecorded, and rather sloppily, at that – and then the sound vanished, to be replaced with Wooley's voice. _"That was aired not five minutes ago, sir."_

Jesse stood up. "What are we going to do?"

Rex shook his head. "I don't know. Wooley, we'll need all the information you can get. Find out what's going to happen tonight and give me a timeframe."

_"Copy that, sir."_

Again the transmission cut off.

Rex dismantled his second pistol and began meticulously cleaning each piece. He was aware that the others were waiting for some sort of direction, but he wasn't sure what the best course of action would be.

He frowned. He wasn't even sure what the options were. They couldn't get to the Cauldron until dark. They couldn't try to contact the prisoners. Even if they could, getting past Ventress, Grievous, and Dooku was not likely. Sending the _Twilight _out of atmosphere to contact General Kenobi's cruiser might be an option, but what could the men on the _Negotiator _do?

Well . . . besides storming the Cauldron. But pulling more Republic troops into a city where the indigenous population seemed fully able and willing to attack – no.

Rex got to his feet, holstered his gun, and glanced over the men. Jesse and Snap were arguing about something involving security codes, Gadget was fidgeting with his datapad, and Kix was watching Rex, who raised an eyebrow at him.

Kix got up and joined him, speaking in a low voice. "Rex, we've pulled off some pretty crazy things before, but this. . . What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. Yet. But whatever we do, we're on our own."

Gadget had heard them. "There are only five of us."

"Five of us, five men on a shuttle," corrected Jesse, suddenly breaking off his argument with Snap in favor of the new conversation. "_And _however many men we can get out of that prison."

Snap gave him an unimpressed look. "Come on. I know you Five-Oh-First guys jump in headfirst, but this is a little much."

"He's right," Rex said, interrupting Jesse's retort. "We don't have enough intel to decide on a course of action."

Everyone stood around silently, waiting for Wooley to call back. Rex was about to order Gadget to take up guard position, just to give the kid something to do, when the comlink beeped again. The clones gathered in the center of the room as Rex answered the call. "Wooley?"

_"It's Boomer,"_ his sergeant answered. _"Wooley's running scans. I've got a preliminary report, though."_

"Let's hear it."

_ "It looks like Rattatakian tradition is that the citizens kill the condemned in combat, with weapons of their choice. The holovid we found – it wasn't really a fight, more of an execution."_

"And the citizens want to go up against two Jedi?"

_"Guess they're mad enough to,"_ Boomer answered. _"You should see the betting odds right now."_

Jesse shook his head. "Money or not, _I _wouldn't want to get smashed through a wall by an angry Jedi. That doesn't make any sense."

_"It does when two people with lightsabers will be present,"_ Wooley's voice cut in. _"I just found out that both Dooku and Ventress will be present at tonight's games."_

Rex frowned. "No mention of Grievous?"

_"None. I've been looking for his ship – nothing matching the description in any of the spaceports."_

"Doesn't mean he's not here," mused Rex. "But at least he doesn't seem to be an immediate problem."

Force knew, they had more than enough 'immediate problems' as it was. But, for the moment, there was nothing to do but wait. Judging from previous experiences, Rex knew that it was going to be a long and tiresome wait. He gestured to the men. "At ease. Get some rest while you can."

Rex sat back against the wall, staring at Gadget's datapad as reports came in from Wooley. The data confirmed his thought that they needed help. And he knew of only one team nearby who might, possibly, get to Rattatak in time to save the generals – and who might, possibly, have some hope of saving this whole blasted mission.

"Boomer," he said, with a mental sigh. "Get ready to take the shuttle up. You're going to send an encrypted message to Vassek III."


	23. Chapter 23

Grievous' howl of fury followed Kit Fisto as he raced down the hall to the control room. The Jedi general tried not to grin, but the memory of Grievous being flattened beneath a huge storage shelf. . . He chuckled. It was unfortunate that his droid hadn't been there to take a holocam.

He skidded around the corner and into the control room. The commando sergeant swung around, but lowered his rifle when he saw who it was. "General Fisto. Where's Grievous?"

"At the moment, he's under a storage shelf."

"He's still alive?" Fixer twisted the power core free of the control center and pried open the casing at one end.

"Unfortunately. He called in his MagnaGuards and I was forced to retreat." Kit Fisto swung his lightsaber in an arc and turned to Delta Thirty-Eight. "Sergeant, we don't have much time."

"Roger that. Advisor, do we still have access to the systems?"

"I can get it back." Advisor stumbled to the keypad, pushing his blaster rifle, which had been cut through, to the floor. "General, should I lock down this level?"

A sudden sense of danger . . . Kit narrowed his eyes. "We're out of time. I'll take care of it."

"I've got the data, sir." Fixer held up the computer chip.

Kit Fisto stepped over a MagnaGuard that had been shot through the head, reached past Advisor, and stabbed his lightsaber through the power core. Using the same technique twice in the same place. . . _Ah, well. _

Scorch leaned over to inspect the damage and hummed his approval, casting a quick glance at Kit's lightsaber. "Man, I wish I had one of those."

Fixer visibly flinched, and Sev growled, "Not a chance."

"Hall's clear," reported the sergeant from the doorway. "Form up, Deltas. General?"

"I'll lead the way."

Advisor retrieved his helmet from beneath the panel and put it on. "Stay alert. I'm picking up a lot of activity outside."

Kit Fisto started down the hall at a run just as a low, cavernous bellow vibrated through the walls. He glanced over his shoulder. "That creature is close by."

The sergeant huffed. "I never would have guessed."

* * *

Boss signaled for a halt and stepped to the left, gaining a clear view to the main entrance of Grievous' lair. The huge stone doors were wide open, and there were no visible guards.

"This has _got_ to be a trap," Fixer declared.

Scorch laughed. "Come on, Fixer. Maybe Grievous wants us to leave and he's making it easy for us."

"This side corridor leads to the northern landing pad," General Fisto said, narrowing his eyes. "Can the _Predator_ be reached from there?"

Boss considered, visualizing how the landscape had looked from the cockpit as they landed. "Yes, once we reach the canyon floor."

"Very well, Sergeant. Take your men by that route and get the shuttle ready for flight. I'll go this way." He gestured at the main landing pad and flashed a grin.

Thirty-Eight raised an eyebrow, then turned and waved for his men to fall in. On General Fisto's head be it if there were too many droids for him to handle alone. To be fair, he had managed very efficiently so far.

_Too bad he couldn't run Grievous through, though._

A sealed door at the end of the hall brought them to a stop. Scorch pulled out a breach charge and slapped it into place. "Clear!"

The explosion forced the doors apart, and Sev shouldered his way through the gap, firing a steady stream of lasers. Boss moved to his left, systematically clearing the landing pad of battle droids, ignoring the return fire that skimmed his armor. As usual, by the time the droids' tracking systems had caught up with the commandos' movements, there were only one or two left that posed even a slight threat.

Boss smirked. _A little R and R's always nice._

The other three commandos spread out, and Boss clipped his blaster to his belt and cast a quick glance over his shoulder at the empty hall.

"All clear," Sev reported, from where he and Fixer stood beside a starfighter of an unfamiliar model.

"Hm." Boss moved forward to join them. "I take it that's Grievous' ship."

"Yes, sir." Fixer tapped the hull with the back of his hand. "It looks like a modified Bellbulab-22. Atmospheric speed of ten or eleven hundred kilometers per hour."

"That sounds fun," Scorch said.

"Okay, Deltas." Boss pulled out his last thermal and armed it. "Let's not leave it undamaged."

Advisor caught at his wrist. "The scans I got indicate that the hull is covered in impervium."

Boss disarmed the grenade and waited for an explanation, but Advisor was busy studying the ship. "Fixer?"

"Impervium is impenetrable to small-arms fire," explained the technician. "Very rare, very expensive."

"Yeah," cut in Scorch. "But how do grenades count as small-arms fire. . .?"

"Grenades won't harm it," Advisor told him. "Not from the outside. Recommend you plant a few thermals in the fuel tank instead."

"Oh." Scorch sounded reverent, which probably meant he was imagining the destruction ahead. "Boss?"

"Get to it." Thirty-Eight stood back and kept watch while Scorch opened the fuel intake valve and shoved it full of explosives. At the outer edge of the platform, Fixer disarmed a mine and Sev shot out two security cameras.

Boss glanced at the hall behind him again. It was still empty, so why did he feel like some threat was looming just out of sight? Probably because it was. _Where'd that creature get to?_

"All set," Scorch called. "I've left a thermal exposed for detonation."

"Platform's clear, sir," Fixer said.

"Attach cables," Boss ordered, approaching the edge. "Advisor?"

The other clone seemed to hesitate as he glanced down at the canyon floor, some fifty meters below.

Scorch sauntered by and attached his own cable. "You'll be fine, Advisor. It's like going up, but easier."

"Just don't let go," Sev added, readying his sniper rifle against one shoulder.

Advisor regarded them coldly.

"Sev," said Boss, ignoring their antics. "Fire on my signal."

He waited for Fixer and Scorch to jump, then swung around to brace his feet on the platform's edge and glanced at Advisor, who gave him a short nod. They kicked off and swung to a halt a dozen feet below.

Boss braced himself. "Okay, Sev. Light it up."

Sev jumped backward off the platform, firing a single shot in mid-air. The roar of the resultant explosion sent a vibration through their ascension cables, and a wave of light and heat blasted over their heads. The clones ducked against the cliff face as a large hunk of Grievous' prized starfighter whizzed past.

Clinging to his cable with one hand, Boss put two fingers to his helmet in a casual salute as the rest of the ship slid, crashing and clanging, to the canyon floor below. It was several long seconds before the echoing racket died away.

Scorch snickered. "So much for the _Soulless One._ Hey, Boss, why do you suppose the ship is called that?"

Sev chuckled in his low voice. "Maybe Grievous named it after himself."

Boss kicked off again, keeping a sharp lookout on the cliff wall to either side.

"General Soulless One," mused Scorch. "Sev, you ever wonder if –"

"Cut the chatter," Fixer ordered. "We're not clear yet."

Scorch sighed dramatically, and Boss shook his head at the resultant static in his ears.

Advisor jumped the last few feet, stumbled, and almost fell to his knees. Thirty-Eight motioned for Sev to take point just as General Fisto's voice came through the comms. He sounded out of breath, but calm. _"I assume that explosion was caused by you?"_

"Yes, sir. Grievous' fighter is out of commission."

"More like 'out of existence'," corrected Scorch.

The hum and clash of meeting lightsabers cut off General Fisto's next few words, and he spoke faster. _" – bring it to my position, we can –"_

A faint, familiar voice broke in. _"Not so fast, _Jedi_."_

Boss switched his rifle to sniper mode. "Sounds like Grievous found the general."

As he led his team at a run across the uneven ground, dodging loose rubble and weathered boulders every few meters, Boss mapped out his strategy. "General Fisto," he said. "If you can hear me, we're headed for the shuttle. We'll rendezvous with you shortly."

He glanced at his companions. "Advisor."

Delta Squad's tactical coordinator stumbled again, but nodded. "I'll take off and hover a few meters from the landing platform."

"Roger that. Sev, take position on the boarding ramp and provide the general with cover. Scorch, Fixer, be prepared to move in if necessary."

They rounded a sharp bend and saw the shuttle, its doors still sealed. Fixer sent rapid commands on his datapad, lowering the boarding ramp as the clones rushed towards it.

Advisor, still holding Boss' pistol, ran up it as Scorch keyed the entrance code into the cargo bay door.

The door sprang open and a strange droid leapt out, stabbing viciously. Advisor crumpled, and Scorch only barely avoided the second blow from the humming vibrosword.

"Cover!" shouted Boss, and leaped forward, up the ramp.

Scorch ducked aside, and Thirty-Eight grabbed the droid by the neck and twisted, forcing it out of the doorway. He jabbed his own vibroblade between its photoreceptors just as Fixer fired over his shoulder, incapacitating a second droid that had slipped up behind him. A third and fourth flipped through the air and landed at the far end of the boarding ramp, each holding a long blade out to one side. They communicated with each other in low, guttural tones, their white eyes focused on the commandos.

"Fixer." Boss jerked his head toward the cockpit. "Six-Two, give him cover. Sev, clear the ship."

"Those droids look like they're good at close combat," Fixer warned as he hurried inside, followed by the other two.

Thirty-Eight had no intention of getting near the vibroswords. He armed an EC detonator and dropped it at his feet. It rolled down the boarding ramp. The droids were too stupid to move in time, and the burst of blue electricity fried their circuits. He turned to check on Advisor, who had pushed himself up and was aiming his pistol almost at Boss' face.

Boss spun around. A fifth droid was perched on the ship above him like an Utapaun rock-vulture, vibrosword aimed for his neck. He had barely stepped back when Advisor sent four precise shots into its head, and it clattered to the ground.

The ship vibrated and the engines rumbled to life. Boss kicked the droid's skeletal figure off the ramp. "Ship clear, Oh-Seven?" he called.

"Yes, sir." Sev stepped back outside. "Taking position."

"On our way, General," Thirty-Eight reported, pulling Advisor up and glancing at the bloody slash in his chest plate. "Get to the med station."

_"Sergeant!"_ General Fisto's voice sounded sharply in his ears. _"Never mind coming up – I'm afraid we're in more trouble."_

"Boss!" exclaimed Scorch. "The general!"

Thirty-Eight sprang to the end of the ramp and looked up.

The small figure of the Jedi Master stood at the edge of the cliff just beneath the landing pad, some fifty meters above the shuttle. He vaulted into the air and soared down as though it were something he did every day. As he neared the ground, he somersaulted and slowed inexplicably, coming to a gentle landing. Immediately he was sprinting up the boarding ramp, shouting, "Take us up!"

He pivoted upon reaching the cargo door and stood with his lightsaber at the ready, while Sev and Scorch flanked him, standing precariously close to either edge of the ramp.

Fixer's yell of alarm was punctuated by a dull _clang _as something heavy slammed into the shuttle, sending it veering towards the cliff wall. An instant later, Fixer had the ship – and his voice – under control again. _"Boss, something's throwing boulders at the ship."_

Scorch sighed loudly. "Figures."

"It's that creature," General Fisto explained, balancing easily. "Grievous called it a darkghast."

Thirty-Eight loaded an anti-armor round into his gun and dropped to one knee, bracing himself against one of the struts. A huge rock sailed past him and bounced off the ship, and Boss followed its trajectory back to the source. The darkghast was _crawling _headfirst down the cliff face. Four powerful upper limbs and two lower ones propelled it easily from ledge to ledge. Its armored hide was mottled black and grey, and there were strange, rust-colored hourglass shapes on the head and upper back.

"Where does Grievous get these things?" Boss demanded of the universe at large.

Even as he took in the darkghast's appearance, it dug its claws into the rock and tore out a sizable piece. With a challenging roar, it flung the boulder.

Boss fired instinctively, exploding the rock before it could hit the shuttle. "Fixer, get us out of here."

_"Working on it."_

_"Deltas."_ Advisor's voice cut into the comms. _"That creature is ten meters in length."_

"And the shuttle is twenty," Scorch finished unhelpfully.

Delta Thirty-Eight loaded another shell. "Six-Two, get inside and get on the guns."

Scorch ran back inside, but Boss could still hear his gleeful muttering. "Time to use a _real _weapon."

Sev braced an elbow against Boss' shoulder and leveled his sniper rifle as the ship swerved again. "Whenever you're ready, sir."

They fired simultaneously. The darkghast dropped to the ground and roared, flinging up both sets of arms like some strange scorpion. It scuttled towards the ship, propelling its weight forward with arms and legs.

The Jedi, who stood at the very edge of the boarding ramp, hung his lightsaber on his belt. "It's getting ready to jump."

Boss and Sev fired again, but the creature only moved faster. General Fisto put up his hands, as though forbidding the creature to move, just as it launched itself into the air.

Boss jerked back.

Ten feet from the ship, the darkghast came to a full stop, still in mid-air. Two arms slashed at the ship, which was dragged sideways. Sev fell, catching at the strut with one hand. Boss threw himself flat, both to keep his balance and to reach Sev. General Fisto nearly fell off, but caught his balance at the last second and twisted, swinging his hands to the side.

The darkghast was thrown back into the cliff wall.

_"Accelerating,"_ warned Fixer.

As Sev and Boss pulled themselves up and moved back to the door, Scorch sent a flurry of turret fire directly at the creature.

_"Get inside,"_ Advisor ordered. _"We've cleared the surface."_

Boss followed the general into the ship at a run. As he retracted the boarding ramp, he cast a last look at the darkghast. It was still moving, chasing after them despite the heavy lasers that pummeled it.

The ship accelerated and gained altitude, and Boss slipped the detonator from his belt. "Fixer?"

_"We're out of range of the explosives now, sir,"_ Fixer called.

"Excellent." Boss moved to the viewport and pressed the detonator with a deep sense of satisfaction. Fixer brought the shuttle around in a tight curve as the forbidding structure that had been Grievous' stronghold shivered once, twice, and then collapsed in on itself in a towering cloud of dust.

It was spectacular.

General Fisto grinned widely at the sight, then headed to the cockpit. "Well done, commandos! We won't know if Grievous escaped that for some time, but he'll never use that fortress again."

_If he does, he'll have to rebuild it from the top down, _Boss thought. He replaced the detonator, hung his gun on the storage rack, and stood in the center of the empty cargo bay for a long minute. "Deltas, report."

_"Six-Two here. Another successful mission, Deltas!"_

_ "Oh-Seven reporting. No enemy fighters on scanners. . . Too bad."_

_ "Delta Four-Oh reporting. We're exiting the atmosphere." _

"Acknowledged." Boss removed his helmet and set it on the storage rack before heading out to the small med bay. "Advisor?"

A medical droid turned to look at him. "Sergeant, how are you? I believe that the injured clone is now in the cockpit with the other troopers."

Thirty-Eight headed forward, wondering for at least the hundredth time why medical droids had been programmed to speak so formally. They sounded weird enough as it was.

The air shifted almost imperceptibly as the shuttle entered hyperspace, and Boss entered the cockpit to see the familiar blue-white streaks of light flowing past the viewing ports. Sev and Scorch were slouched at either side of the door, Fixer was standing up from the pilot's seat, and Advisor was at the navigation/comms station.

General Fisto, in the co-pilot's seat, turned to Boss. "We've started back to the Endor system. If General Kenobi has already completed his mission, his flagship will be waiting for us there."

Advisor glanced up. "The _Negotiator's _at Endor, all right. I'm receiving a signal from them – transmission sent one standard hour ago."

Scorch sighed. "Which means they finished their mission first."

"Wait." General Fisto moved to look over Advisor's shoulder. "It was transmitted through the _Negotiator_, not from it."

Advisor hesitated, as though surprised he'd made an error. "Yes, sir, it originated from the _Twilight._ Decrypting now."

There was a burst of static, and then a familiar voice spoke. _"General Fisto, this is Sergeant Boomer, CT Two-Two-Oh-Seven, speaking for Captain Rex. Count Dooku is in the city. We captured Ventress, but she was rescued. Generals Kenobi and Skywalker have been captured, along with Commander Cody and nine of our men. No known fatalities as of yet."_

Boomer paused, and then his voice took on a wry tone. _"We need your help, General. The citizens are up in arms, and Captain Rex has decided against bringing in reinforcements from the _Negotiator _for fear of starting a city-wide riot."_

General Fisto nodded approvingly, his expression intent.

_"The _Twilight _seems to have escaped enemy notice for now. We've landed three klicks east of the capital and will wait for further orders. Captain Rex and four men are inside the castle."_

Another voice murmured in the background, and Boomer cleared his throat. _"One other thing. The captain recommends you get here fast. Generals Kenobi and Skywalker and the men have been condemned to die tonight in an arena which the holonet calls 'the Cauldron'. Both Count Dooku and Ventress will be there. No further word of Grievous as of yet. We're keeping our eyes open and will do everything we can from this end. Sergeant Boomer out."_

The transmission cut off, and Advisor leaned slowly back.

"How'd all _that _happen?" asked Scorch.

General Fisto blinked slowly. "I'm sure listening to their sequence of events will prove to be interesting. Fixer, take us out of hyperspace."

"Yes, sir."

"Laying in a course for Rattatak," Advisor said.

Sev pulled off his helmet, revealing the jagged scar that ran from his right cheekbone to the back of his neck. "We got a few hours till planetfall?"

"Three and a half hours," said Fixer.

"Right." Boss glanced around at them. "You've got three hours to rest up. Report back here at eighteen thirty hours."

"Oh, good." Scorch popped the seals on his helmet and removed it with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "I could do with a cup of caf or three. Anyone else?"

Boss took a moment to reflect on the wisdom of letting Scorch – or Sev, for that matter – at the supply of caf before what was likely to be a stealth mission. A stealth mission to effect the rescue of two Jedi generals and a group of clones from an arena guarded by a couple of lightsaber-wielding Sith in a crowded city full of hostile civilians. . .

". . . I could use one," he said. "I'll join you shortly."

Sev and Scorch headed for the galley. Fixer followed them, stopping on the way to glance down at Advisor. "Sir. Recommend you relocate to the med bay."

"Opinion noted, Four-Oh." Advisor got stiffly to his feet. "Delta Lead. For future reference, those droids were commando droids. Fast-moving and programmed for close-range fighting; armed with vibroswords; tough armor."

Boss nodded. "We'll look into the specs later."

General Fisto gazed out into the dizzying swirl of hyperspace. "Sergeant," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "I will contact the Jedi Council and update them on both missions. You and your squad did an excellent job today."

"Thank you, General." He turned to leave and paused. "We'll have to do a better job than that to complete this next mission."

"Indeed." General Fisto smirked. "At least we already won the bet."


	24. Chapter 24

Rex stared out the window at the faint orange and gold sunset, just visible over the tops of the flat-roofed buildings that surrounded the castle. It was beautiful, in a distant, quiet sort of way.

Angry shouts sounded from a warehouse across the road, and Rex reflected that the sunset was about the only quiet thing in the entire city of Heela. The upcoming event in the arena had excited the city's occupants. Every cantina, betting stall, and gambling house was open and full. Multiple fights had broken out. Not five minutes ago, a swoop gang had roared past, firing their pistols in the air and shouting drunken threats against each other, the Jedi, and the Republic at large.

At first, every time the clones heard laser fire, they'd reached for their guns, but after a couple of hours, it had become part of the background noise. Now, they only became wary if there _wasn't _a blaster shot at least once every two minutes.

Rex was still considering the irony of this when Snap joined him at the window. "It's been a while. Think General Fisto got your message?"

"If he didn't, we're in a _lot _of trouble."

"Yeah. . ."

"We've still got several hours to go before the execution starts." Rex glanced at his chronometer. "If we don't hear from him soon, we'll have to do what we can on our own."

Moving to the computer terminal, he checked Snap's datapad, on which he could view his teammates' life signs. Kix, Jesse, and Gadget were on their way back from patrolling the upper halls of the castle, and they hadn't reported once. No trouble from that quarter, then.

There had been no news of the generals or of Cody since Tar Saresh's transmission, either, and although Rex hadn't expected any, the lack of information was becoming a problem. Mostly, of course, because without information, they were forced to either wait around and do nothing, or run in blind.

"Don't shoot, Captain," said a voice outside the door, and Jesse cautiously poked his head around it.

"Get inside," Rex ordered. "See anything interesting?"

"Not so much as a serving droid," Kix said, shutting the door.

Rex nodded and turned back to the window. They had maybe an hour before it would be dark enough to attempt relocating to the Cauldron. It would be hard to get there without being noticed, but the route Gadget had mapped out would help. Once they were there –

_Once we're there, we'll follow General Skywalker's example and make up a rescue as we go along. . . Yeah, because that always works so well. _

Rex shook his head. General Skywalker's strategies usually consisted of rushing in headlong and hoping for the best. Of course, he also had the skill and audacity needed to pull off crazy, suicidal stunts, like crashing entire cruisers into droid control ships. Come to think of it, a lot of the general's plans had involved crashing ships. . .

_Maybe I should tell Oddball to land the _Twilight _on top of the Cauldron. _

His comlink beeped, and he pressed it. "Wooley, any word from General Fisto?"

_"Yes, sir, he just contacted us. He's on his way with the commandos now. They'll make their way to the castle and rendezvous with your team. ETA, two hours. We're landing now."_

"Good. Keep monitoring the holonet, and let me know if there are any developments."

_"Will do, sir."_

"Anything we can do from our end?"

There was a pause, and Rex could hear another voice murmuring in the background. Wooley cleared his throat. _"Eh – Boomer says not unless you can give us a direct connection to Ventress' personal computer."_

Across the room, Jesse straightened and glanced at Rex. Snap stopped polishing his already gleaming pistol, a look of interest crossing his face.

"Hmm." Rex gestured to the computer station. "Gadget, you think we can locate that from here?"

_"Captain,"_ Wooley said cautiously. _"Are you really –?"_

"I'll keep you posted. Captain Rex out." He clicked off his comm and turned to Gadget. "What've you got?"

The younger clone was connecting it to the terminal. "I'll upload the castle's systems to this and overlay them with the diagram of the castle. We can narrow it down from there."

"Right," said Jesse, leaning over his shoulder. "And her computer would probably be the hardest to access, so –" He tapped the screen. "We can eliminate this location – and this one – and _this _one. . ."

Kix joined the group. "Hopefully, it wasn't in the throne room."

The others turned to regard him for a long moment, and Snap cleared his throat.

Kix gave an apologetic shrug.

"It's got to be one of these," Gadget said, pointing to three glowing red dots on the diagram. "But this one is pretty close to where the shield generator was."

Rex studied the diagram. "Let's skip that one. Jesse, Kix, Snap, get to the western one. Gadget, you're with me."

In the hallway, they split into their respective groups and hurried in opposite directions. Rex moved down one hall and up a flight of stairs, Gadget matching him step for step. At the top of the stairs, they were stopped by a locked metal door.

As Rex glanced around for the control panel, Jesse's voice came through. _"Captain, we found the terminal."_

"Good. What've you got?"

_ "Basic security, nothing Snap can't override."_

"Copy that. We've got a door to break through. Report in when you've made progress." He turned back to the door to see Gadget kneeling on the top step, tapping lightly on the metallic surface before him. "Find anything, kid?"

"Yes, sir!" Gadget got to his feet, nearly tripping in his eagerness. "The door opens inward, but the control panel is located on the other side, here."

"So the lock would be . . . right _here._"  
"Yes, sir."

"Hm." Rex drew his pistols and motioned for Gadget to fall back. "Which means the hinges are on the opposite side – there."

He fired a few dozen times, weakening the two large hinges with the onslaught of energy. Together, he and Gadget threw themselves against it, and the door fell inward, landing on the stone floor with a hollow _boom. _

The room was empty of everything except a computer station, a small table and chair, and a plain bed.

"If this is Ventress' room, she must not stay here often," Gadget said, observing the simple furnishings with surprise.

Rex powered up the computer and studied the display. "Minimal security, so this probably isn't Ventress' room. . . Or is it?"

He accessed the usage history. Computer account entered four days ago, hologram call accepted, call terminated after two minutes; account entered yesterday, hologram call accepted, call terminated ninety seconds in; and – _account entered nine minutes ago, _hologram call accepted, call terminated after five minutes.

Rex checked his surroundings again, the back of his neck crawling. The dim light from the computer was enough to see that the tiny room was completely empty, as it had been when they entered.

Gadget was staring at the display, his eyes reflecting the light. "Someone just left here," he said. "_Right _before we reached the stairs."

"Keep an eye on the stairs," Rex told him, tapping his comm. "Jesse. Keep a sharp lookout. Someone was here recently."

_"Yes, sir. It wasn't a servant?"_

"I doubt it." Rex glanced at the display again. "Security door with a passcode to the room. Minimal security on computer – no passcode – no activity in the past week apart from taking hologram calls, and the caller's information is heavily encrypted."

_"So, someone wanted to access the terminal quickly, but doesn't want the caller to be known."_

"Yeah. Anything on your end?"

_"Not much. Some stuff related to Ventress' position as ruler of Rattatak, but nothing about the Seps. Hologram messages to war barons, money transactions. . . Nothing more recent than a month ago. We're copying everything we can."_

"Good. When you've finished, join us up here."

_ "Yes, sir."_

"Captain Rex." Gadget's voice was steady, but it wasn't hard for Rex to pick out the slightly higher tone that indicated fear or nervousness. "Do you think it was Ventress who was in here?"

Rex glanced idly in his direction. "Yeah."

Gadget didn't answer, but he straightened his posture and went back to watching the stairwell with increased vigilance.

_Works every time. _When Rex had been deployed for the first time, it had been as part of a platoon of reinforcements which had been set down right in the middle of a battle. The air was so thick with smoke that they could see the lasers, but not the droids. The sergeant's easy overconfidence had gotten them past that first jolt of uncertainty and fear, and it was a trick Rex had used many times since then. _Taught me a lot, Sarge, considering you didn't last even one battle. _

Rex went to the stairway and glanced down. He needed to track that mysterious caller and find out what Ventress had been talking about here. To do that, he needed a professional slicer. His men were good, but they hadn't been trained at the level that others – commandos, for example – had been.

He huffed under his breath. Deltas Oh-Seven and Six-Two were going to be absolutely unbearable. Then again. . . Rex smirked. It could always be worse. General Skywalker had been part of the bet, too. And _he _was the one who had gotten himself captured.


	25. Chapter 25

Obi-Wan sat cross-legged and straight-backed, his posture correct in every particular as he meditated; or, rather, as he attempted to meditate.

The guards down the hall were playing a very loud game of dice and, from what actual words he could gather amidst their cursing and swearing, they were also placing bets on which Jedi would survive the longest at tonight's games. He remembered the sandy pit with some trepidation, shook his head slightly, and settled down again to clear his mind.

_There is no chaos, there is harmony . . . There is no – _

A burst of raucous laughter was followed by a voice shouting, "Fifty creds says they'll _both _last longer than the soldiers! Ha!"

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and stared severely in the general direction of the interruption.

Another ruffian joined in. "Saresh won't get his money's worth out of 'em. Bet he won't even need us to subdue 'em."

Flash, who had been lounging irritatedly against the door, spun to face the bars and hollered back, "Why don't you come in here and find out, you useless scumbags?"

There was a short pause, probably because the thugs were unable to actually process the fact that they were being insulted. Obi-Wan sniffed.

Namer got up and pulled Flash away from the door. "That's _not_ a good idea right now."

Flash obeyed, looking mutinous, and Namer continued, "We'll prove them wrong when they go up against us."

Echo stopped fiddling with his hopelessly broken comlink and cast a nervous glance at the hallway. "General, do you know what they mean about Saresh?"

"I'm afraid so," Obi-Wan replied, giving up all hope of meditating for the foreseeable future. "It looks as though this building is chiefly used as an arena."

Echo looked blank.

Obi-Wan got up and straightened his tunic, wincing at the pull in his injured shoulder. "Apparently, you and Anakin and I are to be forced into fighting for our lives."

"Against those jokers?" Flash asked, tilting his head at the door.

"I doubt it," Obi-Wan told him, glancing into the hall. "If this is anything like the one on Geonosis, we'll have to deal with carnivorous creatures of some sort." He frowned and tugged gently at his beard. "Large, dangerous creatures. And somehow I don't see Tar Saresh returning my lightsaber, so we'll have to make do."

"We don't have weapons," said Echo, falling back into his usual habit of stating the obvious. "Maybe we can steal some when the guards come to get us."

"Maybe," said Namer. "Are we the only ones down here?"

"Ghost and Trap were taken past us," Obi-Wan replied.

"That's right," said Echo. "And Fives is in the opposite direction, with Det and Waxer and Boil."

"I hope they're not causing too much trouble," Obi-Wan said uselessly, thinking back to Ryloth. Waxer and Boil with Fives . . . He supposed he should be grateful that those three weren't imprisoned with Anakin; they'd be sure to collectively think up some foolhardy, dangerous plan.

Flash paced to the other side of the room and kicked lightly at the wall. "General Skywalker must be with Trap and Ghost, then."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan said. "And if Cody didn't manage to escape, he'll be there as well. It seems we must wait for Captain Rex to contact the Jedi Council for assistance."

"Yeah," said Flash. "_If_ he finds out where the other jamming device is."

"Or if he leaves Rattatak," Namer interjected quietly. "But he won't do that."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "No, and I trust he won't call in reinforcements from the _Negotiator_. You don't think he's planning to fight his way into the prison, Namer?"

"Not alone, sir. But I think he'll probably call in the nearest help he can."

"Oh?"

"Nearest help I know of is General Fisto and his commandos."

"Oh." Obi-Wan considered this for a moment. "Dear me."

Flash and Echo exchanged rueful smirks, and Namer inclined his head. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Anakin gripped the bars of the door in both hands, closed his eyes, and focused on the bars. He could scarcely reach the Force with his mind. A fierce ache started in his forehead, and he gritted his teeth.

"General," said Trap's curious voice. "What are you doing?"

Anakin took a deep breath as the uncomfortable prickling around his face and neck increased. "Trying – to break through – the door."

After a few more seconds, he gave up. As he stepped back, wiping the sweat from his forehead, he saw Cody eyeing him thoughtfully.

Anakin frowned. "What?"

"General, even if you get through the door, you can't get through the ray shield."

"Yeah, I know. . ." Anakin slumped down, propping his arms across one knee.

The cell was quiet. Trap and Ghost had run out of things to argue about some time previously – most of their conversation had been about whether the Five-Oh-First or the Two-Twelfth was better at such-and-such a thing – and were sitting in companionable silence.

Anakin sighed and tipped his head back towards the ceiling. It was getting late, even by Rattatakian time. "Wonder how long we're going to be stuck here."

No one answered, probably because they were all wondering the same thing.

"One of us could shout through the shield," Trap suggested, flicking at the weird lizard creature that kept scampering in and out through a tiny hole in the wall. "Maybe see where the other guys are."

Everyone managed to look halfway interested for approximately two seconds before sinking back into boredom. Anakin watched Trap, who was now trying to catch the little lizard. When it slipped through his fingers for the third time and skittered out into the hall, Trap shrugged. "Eh, I give up."

Anakin stared at the stone ceiling, which was every bit as boring as the rest of the room. "Just wait until it gets closer, then grab it."

"Or cut off its escape," Cody suggested.

A loud _clang_ down the hall brought them to their feet. Anakin hurried to the door and looked out. "Well, if it isn't our friend Tar Saresh and his brute of a bodyguard."

The orange Twi'lek peered through the ray shield with a friendly smile. "Jedi Skywalker, step back from the door."

Anakin obeyed. "You know, you _could _occasionally say something else."

The ray shield flickered out of existence. "Such as?"

"Oh, I don't know." Anakin folded his arms. "Maybe, 'I'm sorry we've held you here for so long. I've decided to let you go.' Something like that."

Saresh laughed as the guard released the lock. "You Jedi are so arrogant! But never fear, you won't be here much longer. However, I came here to release the clone commander."

"Why?" asked Cody.

"Dooku wishes to speak with you."

Cody held his ground.

Tar Saresh drew a gun. "You don't have a choice, my friend."

". . . Right." Cody turned to glance at Anakin. "General?"

"How can you refuse the good Count's invitation?" Anakin said bitingly. "Don't give away any trade secrets."

Cody raised an eyebrow and stepped out into the hall.

"Really, Skywalker," Tar Saresh said as he locked the door. "You must think us to be barbarians."

"Yeah, actually, I do."

Trap and Ghost moved up behind Anakin, and Tar Saresh waved them back and reactivated the shield. "You have a few hours left. I suggest you get some rest while you still can."

The muscular guard handcuffed Cody and shoved him down the hall, with Saresh following. A moment later, the metal door clanged shut behind them.

Anakin leaned against the wall with an exasperated groan and slid slowly down to a seated position. Ghost slumped down across from him and tapped his fingers rapidly against his knees.

The drumming sound was only slightly annoying at first, but after about a minute, it had gotten well past annoying and was heading to infuriating.

Anakin opened his mouth to complain just as Trap lost patience and made a grab for Ghost.

Ghost ducked, caught Trap around the knees, and brought him down. Trap squirmed free and got an arm around Ghost's neck, but Ghost had already shifted, ready to fling Trap sideways.

Anakin got to his feet. "Guys, stop."

"Sorry, sir," said Trap, releasing Ghost. "Just fooling around."

"No, I meant stop, you're doing it wrong." Anakin nudged Trap aside. "Ghost, you were reacting to Trap's chokehold before he'd even finished it; and Trap, I saw you loosening that grip because you knew he was going to throw you. You're used to sparring with guys your exact height and weight, so that works fine – but the minute someone taller or heavier or stronger grabs you, you're out of luck."

Trap looked skeptical.

"Okay," Anakin admitted with a slight grin. "Not out of luck, but you'd have a lot more trouble. Look, try positioning your feet _this _way . . ."


	26. Chapter 26

Boss stood at the back of the cockpit and watched as Advisor, his left shoulder heavily bandaged, flicked through screen after screen of data. Kit Fisto, who had pulled on a long brown robe over his battle gear, stood with folded arms and closed eyes, doing whatever it was that Jedi did to prepare for battle.

"The _Twilight _knows to expect us," Fixer said. He landed the shuttle across from the _Twilight _with a soft bump and powered down the engines. "We've landed, sir."

Scorch gestured out the viewport at the ground. "Are you _sure_, Forty? I mean, maybe we're still in the air."

Fixer locked the ship systems without answering and tested his vibroblade with a flick of his wrist, as he did before every mission. Sev, who was running a cloth over the barrel of his rifle, gave Scorch a half-amused look.

General Fisto opened his eyes. "I sense much excitement in the city."

"Not surprising." Advisor turned to him. "A lot of money's changing hands, and Tar Saresh has called some famous bounty hunters into the city."

"Ah, that's good to know." The Jedi touched his lightsaber and headed for the cargo bay. "Ready, Sergeant?"

"Yes, General." Boss put his helmet on and checked the seals. "Sev, Scorch, get the landspeeder ready."

As they hurried to obey, the other two commandos followed General Fisto outside and through the sand to the _Twilight._ Boss and Fixer entered the hold to see four clone troopers jumping to attention as they caught sight of the Jedi.

"General Fisto!" said a 212th trooper. "Sergeant Wooley reporting, sir."  
"Sergeant Boomer reporting, sir."

The Jedi inclined his head in greeting. "At ease, troopers."

Boss considered the occupants of the_ Twilight_. Of the five troopers – four of Cody's and one of Rex's – only the pilot was uninjured; a fact which General Fisto seemed to notice as well. "Your name, pilot?"

"Oddball, sir. Fighter pilot, Two-Twelfth."

"Do you have a co-pilot?"

"No, sir, but Switch here can handle a shuttle just fine."

"Very good. Sergeant Wooley, it is likely that we'll need to effect a hasty retreat. I would suggest placing a pilot on each ship."

"Good idea, sir." Wooley gestured to Oddball, who saluted and left at a run. "We can be in the city in under two minutes, if need be."

"Excellent. Have you discovered anything new since your last report?"  
"Captain Rex located what we think is a record of Ventress' communications, but we haven't learned anything relevant from it."

"Do you still have communications with the captain?"

"Yes, sir. Here's the encryption code we've been using."

Fixer leaned over and glanced at the screen. "Okay." He typed in a string of numbers into the datapad. "We switched to this one a few minutes ago. Can you get all the comms over to this set?"

"Right away, Corporal." Wooley turned to another clone. "Longshot, transmit this to Captain Rex and tell him the general's on his way."

General Fisto nodded. "Is there anything else?"

"No, sir."

"Then we'll head into the city now. Keep the guns ready." General Fisto grinned brightly and hurried out.

The landspeeder pulled up to the boarding ramp with Sev at the controls.

Boss raised his eyebrows. "We won't get into the city that way."

"Didn't think so, sir." Sev jumped down. "We'll have to hide in back and hope that Nautolans are more common than commandos."

"Nautolans are not common on desert planets," replied the Jedi, hopping into the driver's seat. "However, we shouldn't have too much trouble, as the city is currently full of outsiders."

The other commandos climbed up and ducked beneath the inward-curving sides of the open transport. Kit Fisto gunned the engine, and they zipped towards the city, leaving clouds of sand in their wake.

Not two minutes later, the speeder reached the edge of the city and slowed, veering into the main street. _So far, so good._

"Hold it right there!" a raspy voice ordered.

The speeder came to a sudden halt, and Boss grabbed at the seat in front of him to keep from crashing into Scorch.

Sev shifted position slightly, ready to jump up.

Boss shook his head. "Wait. . ."

"What do you want?" General Fisto demanded.

Footsteps approached. "What is your business here?"

The Jedi laughed. "What is anyone's business here tonight? I wish to attend the event at the Cauldron."

"Yeah?" The man sounded interested, now. "Who's your champion?"

There was a brief pause. "I'm putting my money on the Jedi."

Boss smirked and cast a look at Fixer, who gave his head a tiny, hopeless shake.

"Ha! Word of advice, stranger. Don't put all your chips on one guy – Viscus Gaan's got the best odds. Okay, on your way."

The speeder moved on, and the commandos ducked even lower until they were well past the checkpoint. A moment later, Advisor said, _"Viscus Gaan. Zabrak male and Cauldron champion. Killed five combatants in the last to-the-death match."_

Scorch laughed. "Only five?"

_"There were _only_ five, Six-Two,"_ said Advisor. _"And they attacked him simultaneously."_

". . . Oh."

General Fisto stopped the speeder again. "This building will provide cover while we climb into the courtyard."

Boss put a hand on the speeder's side and swung out, then glanced at the wall in front of him. "Three meters. We won't need cables."

The Jedi tossed his robe in the speeder, jumped, and landed precisely on top of the wall. "No guards," he whispered down. "And it would appear that the others put up quite a fight."

Scorch braced himself against the wall so Fixer could climb up. "We couldn't have gone through the gate, I suppose."

"No," replied Boss succinctly, doing the same for Sev.

As soon as Sev and Fixer were on top, they turned and reached down. Boss took a running start and kicked off the wall. They grabbed his hands and elbows and swung him over, and he pulled out his rifle as he landed, moving forward to scan the courtyard for possible threats.

Scorch was next, and then Fixer and Sev hopped down.

General Fisto came last. "I believe we're being watched. . ." He flashed a smile. "Ah, one of the clones."

Scorch stared at him, but before he could get distracted and start asking questions about the Jedi and their mysterious powers, Boss cut him off. "Captain Rex, we're approaching the castle."

_"Yeah,"_ Rex's voice drawled. _"I'm watching you."_

"We know," said Fixer a second later. "You're behind what's left of the fuel tanks."

Thirty-Eight held back a smile. He hadn't expected Fixer to cheat by getting a vector on Rex's transmission signature, but neither was he going to say anything about it.

Captain Rex didn't say anything, either. He ran over from behind the fuel tanks, saluted General Fisto, and said, "We've got the castle secured, sir, and we came across something that might be useful."

"Lead the way, Captain."

They ran into the castle, down a hall, and up a flight of stairs. As they passed a room that had been severely damaged by explosives, Scorch whistled appreciatively. "Not bad at all."

"Thanks," said Rex. "Fixer, I've got a job for you. You think you can get through advanced cryptographic protocols and reconstruct the contents of a holovid call _without _setting an alert off?"

"I'll need some time."

"We've got time." Rex headed up a fourth flight of stairs and into a plainly furnished room. "There's the computer."

Fixer pulled out his datapad and connected it. "All three calls?"

"Let's see if the most recent one gives us what we need."

"Got it."

As he set to work, Rex turned to General Fisto. "I've had the other men scouting the castle. We haven't seen Ventress, but odds are she knows we're here."

"And Dooku is nearby as well." Kit Fisto hummed.

"Yes, sir. There's been no sign of Grievous' fighter, though. We're hoping he left the system."

Sev grunted, amused. "Yeah. About that. . ."

Fixer glanced up from the computer. "Was there any way Grievous could have traced Commander Cody's call to us?"

Rex took off his helmet. "He was on the _Twilight _right before he disappeared. Wait, did he follow you to Vassek III?"

"He certainly arrived unexpectedly," the general said. "I kept him busy while the commandos blew up his ship and his fortress."

Rex looked at Thirty-Eight, visibly impressed. "Hm. Cody wasn't kidding when he said you guys got results."

Boss tilted his head in acknowledgement. "We weren't able to take him out, but we gave him a black eye, at least."

"Literally," Scorch added.

General Fisto smirked, then sobered. "Captain, do we have a map of the city available?"

"Right here." Rex grabbed a datapad from the desk. "I'm going to call the guys back from patrol."

The commandos and General Fisto observed the small map. "There's the castle," remarked Sev. "And this must be the Cauldron."

"Yes." General Fisto frowned thoughtfully.

Boss commed the _Predator. _"Advisor, we need more intel about the Cauldron. I've got one main entrance marked here, but nothing else useful."

_"Give me a minute to locate the most recent data . . ." _

Sev wandered across the room and peered out the window.

_"Okay," _said Advisor. _"This is interesting. The building you're referring to isn't actually the original Cauldron. That one was a huge cave, well outside the city limits, which was destroyed in a bombing incident several months ago."_

"So the one we're looking at is relatively new?" Which probably meant top security, defensive systems, the works.

_"Right. I'll find the schematics,"_ Advisor replied. _"There's got to be an entrance into the maintenance levels, at least."_

Fixer spoke over one shoulder. "I've captured the transmission, sir."

"Excellent work," said General Fisto, moving closer. "Play it back."

Two figures appeared above the datapad's holoprojector, the outlines blurred and slightly overlapping each other. A human with a pointed beard and a lightsaber hanging from his belt spoke first. _"Everything is ready, my apprentice."_

"Dooku," muttered the Jedi.

The tattooed woman – Ventress, judging by the expression of distaste that Rex wore – narrowed her pale eyes. _"Master Kenobi is difficult to predict."_

_ "I am well aware." _The Sith lord frowned at the thought. _"However, Saresh has assured me that they will not be moved from their cells until I give the word."_

_ "My lord, have you considered that if the Jedi die here, the Republic might invade Rattatak?"_

_ "I have. But you needn't fear for your domain, Ventress."_

She sneered. "_My_ domain?_ If our cause did not benefit from the cartels, I'd let the war barons tear this filthy planet to shreds! My worry is that if the Jedi come, they will cut off everything that makes Rattatak worthwhile to us."_

_ "Indeed." _The count clasped his hands behind his back. _"Tonight, we will give the Rattatakians cause for even greater grievance against the Jedi." _

_ "But they are pleased with your decision. . ."_

_ "At the moment." _Count Dooku smiled slightly. _"There will be some civilian casualties tonight, which should ensure that the Republic does not retaliate. Especially since it was the Jedi who invaded the city."_

_ "With twenty troopers?" _Ventress snorted. _"Even I know the Senate won't accept that as a reason for publicly executing two Jedi."_

_ "Perhaps not, but the Rattatakians still have the right to deal with prisoners as they see fit, and the Republic will not waste time or men trying to avenge one Jedi."_

Ventress' eyebrows drew together in confusion. _"One, my lord?"_

_ "Yes. Only one Jedi will die tonight. Young Skywalker is to be left alive, if not undamaged." _

_ "You said Kenobi was the bait. . ." _Ventress trailed off.

Boss glanced over at General Fisto, who was frowning thoughtfully as he followed the conversation.

_ "Correct." _Count Dooku rested a hand on a curved lightsaber hilt. _"Kenobi is the bait for Skywalker."_

Ventress hesitated for several seconds, her gaze glancing back and forth as though reading invisible text. _"I apologize, Master, but I do not understand."_

_ "Lord Sidious has not explained his reasons," _replied the Count, his eyebrows lowering. _"He has merely given us orders, my apprentice. Your mission is to guard the prison levels. Let no one in apart from the guards."_

_ "Yes, Master."_

_ "And have the clone commander brought to me. Kenobi might need some motivation." _He looked almost fondly at his apprentice. _"In the meantime, we must keep this city's rabble content." _

Ventress bowed, her hood almost obscuring her smile. _"It will be done, my lord." _

The hologram flickered and disappeared.

General Fisto stared intently at the projector, his large eyes narrowed in thought. "I cannot understand what is behind this plan. . . Something dark is at work."

Rex put his helmet on. "Yeah. It's Dooku."

"This Lord Sidious . . ." The Jedi Master shook his head and turned to cast his gaze over the clones. "And what did he mean by civilian casualties? We must locate Dooku."

"The transmission was sent from beneath the Cauldron," Fixer said, unplugging his datapad.

"We'll have to break in." Boss rested his rifle against one shoulder. "Advisor, what do you have for intel?"

_"I'm sending you the schematics now," _Advisor said as four troopers entered the room. _"Delta Lead, it's going to be almost impossible to get the prisoners out before the games start."_  
"Why?" Rex asked. "Is the main entrance the only one?"

_ "Negative. There is another, but it opens from a private residence adjacent to the Cauldron – probably Saresh's place. The building is full of guards."_

"We can take 'em," declared a 501st trooper with the Republic Roundel painted over one side of his helmet.

"Come on," said another trooper – one of Cody's. "That's hardly the point."

"Yeah," said Rex slowly. "The citizens will be a real problem if they hear a rescue is being staged."

_"Exactly,"_ said Advisor. _"I'm compiling all the relevant data I can, but getting in unnoticed might be impossible – even after the games start."_

"Then we don't get in unnoticed," Rex said decisively.

Scorch sighed loudly. "Why don't we just blow up the main entrance? Oh. Same problem, right. . ."

"We'll enter after the games have started," General Fisto said, gesturing to the new map. "If we move quickly, we should be able to get through Saresh's house –" He pointed at a red-marked square – "and into the Cauldron before any of the prisoners are released into the arena itself. All those who attend the games will have entered ahead of us."

"That makes sense," Sev said.

_"It's the best chance we've got,"_ said Advisor after a moment. _"I've located an unoccupied building two streets from the Cauldron. Recommend you take position there while waiting."_

"I'll scout ahead," the general said. Putting one hand on the windowsill, he vaulted through and vanished.

None of the regular troopers seemed to even notice his departure, and Thirty-Eight wondered what kind of crazy stunts their Jedi must pull on a regular basis to immunize them to such things.

"All right, we're headed for the courtyard," Rex said, leading the way. "Let's move."

The trooper with the roundel on his helmet headed down the stairs with a quick look at Scorch. "Let's see if you guys can keep up."

"That's funny, I was about to say the same thing to you, trooper," said Scorch.

"Jesse. The name's _Jesse_."

"Okay, well, I'm Scorch. You guys killed any droids yet?"

"Hey!"

Boss reached the hallway in time to see the medic elbow Jesse and speak in a conspiratorial tone. "_They_ only have a high kill count because they blew up a droid factory."

Sev interjected. "We don't count nonfunctional droids. Well – _most_ of us don't."

Before Scorch could retort, Captain Rex signaled for everyone to hold position while he checked the room ahead. "All clear. Jesse, Snap, take point."

His troopers moved forward and the others fell in behind, running silently until they reached the courtyard. General Fisto was waiting for them, once again wearing his Jedi robes. "We'll go in the speeder," he said.

Boss dropped to one knee against the wall, locked his fingers together, and motioned to the younger of Cody's troopers. "Up and over."

The rookie obeyed, and the medic followed. The others climbed over on their own, and there were a couple of triumphant helmet-tilts when the regular clones got over faster than the commandos. Still, everyone managed to get into the landspeeder without any physical confrontation, which Boss thought was good.

To head off any further arguing, he ordered the men to maintain silence while the general drove to their destination.

The instant they arrived, Rex hopped out. "All right, troopers, move it!"

One after the other, they rushed across the road to the warehouse, then sealed the door behind them.

After the troopers had double-checked the building for occupants, General Fisto glanced at his chronometer, then at Thirty-Eight. "There is still one hour until we move in."

Boss nodded and seated himself on a crate. They'd done a lot of waiting around to get here – they could do a little more.


	27. Chapter 27

A sharp ringing of metal on metal jolted Anakin from his doze, and he looked up to see Tar Saresh striking the cell bars with the barrel of his pistol. "Time's up, Jedi Skywalker. Come! You too, soldiers."

_Finally!_ It was probably a little odd to be happy that they were moving toward what was supposed to be their execution, but Anakin vastly preferred that possibility to waiting around. Besides, Anakin had no intention of dying.

He followed Trap and Ghost into the hall, where a Weequay guard positioned him between the two clones, then linked their wrists together with stun cuffs. Trap looked uncertainly at him, and Anakin shrugged.

"Don't worry," Tar Saresh said, resting a friendly hand on Ghost's shoulder. "I'll remove those when the time comes for you to enter the arena."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Not taking any chances, I see."

"Not when there are over a million credits on your head alone."

"_What?_"

With a languid wave, the Twi'lek led them down the hall. "That is how much I stand to lose if you do not win in the arena tonight."

"Great," Anakin retorted. "I can't say I've ever _wanted_ to lose before, but –"

"Winning is the only way to survive here, Skywalker."

As they walked, Ghost reached slowly across with his free hand and started working at the binders connecting his wrist to Anakin's.

Anakin stared straight ahead. "I suppose you've got Obi-Wan here as well. Have you thought about how your men are going to fight off two Jedi? It'll be expensive to replace all your guards."

"It would be." Tar Saresh stopped in front of a large door and entered a code. "But I am not having you fight my guards."

There was a sudden _snap_ and Ghost jolted and dropped to his knees, yanking Anakin off-balance.

Tar Saresh opened the door and glanced over his shoulder. "Did I forget to tell you that those are much stronger than normal stun cuffs? Yes? My apologies."

Anakin dragged Ghost upright. He was beginning to detest the sound of that cool, cheerful voice. "Do you _ever _stop talking?"

"Call it excitement, if you will," the Twi'lek said apologetically, gesturing them into the room. "There has not been an event this big in many months. Forgive me, I must go fetch your other companions."

Anakin stomped into the room, and the door shut behind them.

"General Skywalker!" Fives jumped up from a long bench and hurried over. "We've been wondering what happened to you guys."

"Hey, Fives. Det, Waxer, Boil . . ."

Boil gave him a sardonic salute. "Glad to have you aboard, General."

"Always a pleasure," he replied automatically, staring at the metal wall that covered the far end of the cell. "Is that a door?"

"Yes, sir," said Det. "We spent the entire afternoon trying to find a way through it."

Anakin shut his eyes. Even with his dimmed perception of the Force, he could feel the excitement from outside . . . excited anticipation from hundreds – no, _thousands_ – of beings. "We're right next to the arena."

"Yeah, we figured." Waxer slouched back against the wall.

Det started to make a comment, but the door swung open again. Everyone turned to face it – Anakin, Trap and Ghost somewhat awkwardly.

Saresh entered the room, followed by Asajj Ventress.

Anakin groaned. "What are _you _doing here?"

She gave him a nasty smile. "Are they all accounted for, Saresh?"

"Yes, Lady Ventress. The last few are on their way . . . Ah, here."

"So good to see you again, Saresh," came Obi-Wan's insincere voice, followed shortly by the Jedi Master himself. He stopped as he caught sight of the tall woman blocking his path. "Ventress. What a lovely sight to start off this perfectly unenjoyable evening."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Kenobi, so don't try it." She stepped aside as Echo, Flash, and Namer followed Obi-Wan in.

"Master," Anakin greeted. "It seems your negotiations didn't go so well after all."

"Anakin . . ."

Ventress put a hand on her hip, and her cloak shifted to one side. Obi-Wan stopped talking to stare disdainfully at her. "Is that my lightsaber you're carrying? I hate to be rude, but blue really isn't your color."

"Trust me, my dear Obi-Wan, I have no intention of using it," she replied, touching his cheek with one hand. Obi-Wan flinched away, and she swept back to the door, then paused. "Perhaps I will sell it to General Grievous. He's always shown such an interest in adding it to his collection."

"An excellent idea," he called after her. "You could use the credits to buy Dooku's favor. I hear he has no patience for incompetence."

The door slammed shut, and Obi-Wan made his way over to the others. "Anakin. I see they're not taking any chances with you."

Trap held up their linked wrists ruefully. "General Skywalker is worth over a million credits."

"Is that right? I wonder how _that _happened?"

Anakin had long ago concluded that the more irritated Obi-Wan was, the more _snippy _his conversation tended to get. "Master, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're kind of in trouble here."

"I did, now that you mention it." Obi-Wan glanced at his own restraints. "How did you manage to get captured again, anyway?"

Anakin sat down where he was, obliging Ghost and Trap to join him on the floor. "An ambush, of course."

"And what about Cody?"

"Uh, Saresh brought him to Dooku."

Obi-Wan lifted a displeased eyebrow and pulled experimentally at his stun cuffs.

"General, don't –" Ghost began.

_Snap! _

" – try that. . ."

After recovering his equilibrium, Obi-Wan glared dreadfully at the offending cuffs and sat down with a huff. "I don't suppose your Force-abilities are back, by any chance?"

"Not entirely." Anakin tilted his head in thought, then glanced back up. "My mind is clearer than it was, though. Maybe that dark energy is wearing off."

"Hmm." Obi-Wan considered for a long moment, got to his feet, and came to sit across from Anakin. "Maybe we can do something to help hurry that along."

He held out both hands and closed his eyes.

"Uh, Master." Anakin pulled back, the tug in his wrists telling him that Ghost and Trap had tried to edge away as well. "You said yourself you didn't know exactly what it was. Maybe we should just wait for it to fade on its own."

"Very well, if you'd rather go up against all manner of creatures without any defense whatsoever. . ."

"Ugh, _fine!_" There was probably no one in the universe who could look quite as smug as Obi-Wan Kenobi could when he was being difficult _and _getting his way. "Just don't . . . I don't know, accidentally put me in a trance or something."

"Really, Anakin." Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached out again. "That only happened once."

Trap and Ghost edged farther away, and Anakin sighed as he was forced to hold his arms out at an uncomfortable angle. Boil leaned against the wall, looking very much amused at their predicament. Anakin sent him a warning glare before closing his eyes and attempting to clear his mind.

"This shouldn't take long," Obi-Wan said, in a voice that was probably _meant_ to be reassuring, but really, really wasn't.

* * *

Kit Fisto sat cross-legged on a wooden crate and let his gaze wander over the soldiers that had taken positions around the room. Jesse lounged against the wall, swapping tall tales with Scorch. They'd been going at it for nearly three-quarters of an hour now. Sev and Snap, who stood nearby, had spent their time making derisive comments whenever their companions' lies became a little too outrageous.

Kix had apparently given up on all of them some time ago. He sat next to Jesse, reading something on his datapad and ignoring the entire conversation.

Fixer was upgrading one of Gadget's devices for him, all the while explaining what he was doing – Kit smiled as he realized that the corporal had probably talked more in the last half hour than he had the rest of the mission.

Captain Rex stood across from Kit Fisto, staring at a holomap of the surrounding area. Delta Thirty-Eight leaned over to point something out, and Rex nodded.

There were only so many times one could go over the same ground, but the sergeant and the captain had been studying the map almost the whole time.

_Speaking of which . . . _Kit checked his chrono. _Close enough. _He jumped to his feet and stretched. "Come, troopers! We must consider our plan of attack."

The others gathered, and Boss opened his comm channel. "Advisor, anything new?"

_"Saresh's residence is mostly emptied of guards, but I can't get an accurate read on the prison levels."_

"The other jamming device?" Rex said suddenly. "We couldn't locate it earlier."

_"Most likely. If will be unable to deactivate any of the alarms from here without full access, so your best bet will be to take it down fast." _

Boss nodded. "We can handle that."

_"The easiest way to get access from your end would be to shut the system down, but that might make the situation worse. There are over four thousand civilians inside the Cauldron, with more entering every moment."_

"I see." Kit Fisto rested his chin in one hand. "We'll have to reveal ourselves to get the others out, but the minute we do, we risk being attacked by the civilians."

"We'll have to play it by ear," Rex said.

Jesse elbowed Kix. "Good thing we're used to General Skywalker playing it by ear."

The medic smirked.

"As for Ventress, she is, most likely, in the main arena by now. . ." Kit paused. "Let's get to Saresh's house first. We'll clear it and use it as our retreat route."

Boss gestured to the map, at the road marked outside Saresh's house. "The street there is wide enough for the shuttles to land without trouble. The less time we have to spend traveling, the better."

"Hmm." Rex studied the area in question. "Oddball, how good a pilot are you?"

_"Best in the Two-Twelfth,"_ came the confident reply.

Snap nodded his agreement, and Rex grinned mirthlessly. "Good. On my signal, land outside Saresh's place and get the boarding ramp inside the front door."

Scorch whistled softly, but Oddball was unfazed. _"Just tell me when, sir."_

Kit Fisto drew his lightsaber. "All right, let's move out."

After a careful check outside, they hurried back to the landspeeder, and Kit Fisto drove slowly towards the Cauldron. The black sky was sprinkled with glittering points of light, and he gazed up at them, only half-watching the street as he breathed the cool night air. His mind went back to the last arena he'd been in, on Geonosis, and how many Jedi had been killed. He and his men had an even smaller chance of success this time. There were more prisoners to rescue, fewer troops, more enemies, fewer Jedi. . .

Kit Fisto smirked as he braked gently to a halt just outside Saresh's house. He continued his thoughts aloud as the men jumped out. "Our one advantage is that we can't be out planned. We don't know what we're doing ourselves."

"You're right about that, sir," Rex admitted, not sounding particularly concerned.

The Jedi Master turned the speeder around. "I'll leave the landspeeder back at the warehouse and return."

Boss motioned to his commandos. "Scout the perimeter. Don't destroy anything that might set off an alarm."

They slipped off into the darkness.


	28. Chapter 28

A hand landed on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, and he started violently. He opened his eyes, withdrawing his focus back to the present, and took an instant to adjust.

Namer stood beside him, his gaze flickering between the two Jedi. “General? I think we’re out of time.”

The murmur of voices outside rose to a roar. Obi-Wan got to his feet just as Anakin opened his eyes.

“Did it work?” he asked immediately, then paused to find the answer to his own question. “Master, I think it worked.”

“Yes, but not entirely,” Obi-Wan replied, stretching his stiff shoulder. “Be mindful of your surroundings, Anakin.”

Trap and Ghost stood up together, and Anakin followed suit. “I hope Saresh doesn’t forget to take these off,” he said.

“I’m with you there, General,” replied Trap feelingly.

Anakin grinned. “I thought you said you’d follow me into battle any day.”

“Yes, sir, but _this_ wasn’t what I had in mind.”

Ghost nodded half-seriously and glanced at Anakin. “If Saresh _does _forget, do me a favor. Don’t jump around all over the place like General Kenobi does.”

Obi-Wan, unable to fold his arms, frowned at him. “I do not ‘jump around’.”

Waxer, Boil and Ghost gave him identical disbelieving looks.

Det chuckled. “Pretty sure all the Jedi do, sir.”

“Yes, well, be that as it may. . .” Obi-Wan stopped short. “Wait – Saresh is coming back.”

“Quick!” Anakin snapped. “Try to grab him!”

Flash and Det sprang to either side of the side door just before it swung inward to admit Tar Saresh and several guards.

The clones still beside Anakin rushed forward. As Saresh and his guards brought up their weapons, Flash and Det attacked from behind. Flash grabbed the Twi’lek, put an arm across his throat, and jerked him backwards. One guard fell back under Det’s rapid blows, and Obi-Wan caught another guard in a Force-grip and lifted him into the air, causing him to drop his stun weapon in surprise.

Boil snatched up the fallen weapon, and Echo and Waxer rushed to pull Det out of the way. Obi-Wan released the guard, Fives punched him against the wall, and Boil shot the second guard as a group of Weequay hovered in the door.

Tar Saresh rolled his eyes. “Enough, all of you. Stop.”

“Or what?” hissed Flash, putting more pressure on his throat.

Saresh’s free hand reached across to his opposite wrist and pressed something.

A net of red lightning crackled over Flash, who collapsed with a strangled cry. Tar Saresh took a quick step to the side, his blaster raised to point at Echo’s forehead. “Jedi Kenobi, do we _really_ have to play this game again?”

Anakin ground his teeth in anger at the failed attempt, but then he drew a long breath and relaxed.

Echo, his eyes wide, glanced at Fives, who looked uncertainly at Obi-Wan, as though waiting for a signal.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes in an attempt at equanimity. After several seconds, he lowered his hands, not even trying to disguise the irritation in his voice. “We don’t seem to have a choice, do we?”

“I am not _so_ unfair.” The Twi’lek gestured Det and Boil towards the far wall with his weapon. “You do have a choice: fight for your lives, or be shot like vermin.”

“Yeah,” muttered Anakin. “Those are some lousy options.”

Tar Saresh smiled equitably.

Obi-Wan gave a terse nod. “All right.”

“Excellent!”

The guards unlocked the stun cuffs from Anakin’s wrists first, then Obi-Wan’s, and left the room. The orange Twi’lek followed, moving backwards, his gun now pointed at Anakin’s head. “In a few minutes, that door will open. Some of you will be selected for the first challenge. If you try to overpower the guards, you will be killed.”

He slipped away, and the door clicked shut. Again.

“Nice.” Anakin folded his arms. “You know, that guy is _really_ starting to get on my nerves.”

Obi-Wan found that he had to agree.

Trap moved across the room to check on Flash, but the other trooper staggered up on his own, his expression furious. “Slimy, double-dealing tailhead! What _is _it with these guys and shocking people?”

“It’s effective,” Ghost pointed out reasonably.

Flash glared in disbelief.

Anakin stepped forward, once more the general preparing for a battle. “Okay, men, pull yourselves together. We’ve only got a few minutes left.”

“What’s the plan, sir?” Echo asked uncertainly.

Anakin turned to him, wearing the cocky, overconfident smirk that usually preceded his more dangerous ideas. “The _plan_ is to kill everything that tries to kill us. Rex and the others are out there somewhere, and our job is to stay alive until they can get to us. Got that?”

“Sir! Yes, sir!”

“And keep your focus,” Obi-Wan cut in. “You might be surprised by how hard it is when you have thousands of people screaming for your deaths.”

“Yeah,” said Anakin with a grin. “You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Master?”

Obi-Wan looked at him grumpily. “I might remind you we were _both _in that arena.”

* * *

Delta Thirty-Eight leaned back against the wall of the house and tilted his head, listening. A steady murmur and rush of noise emanated from the nearby arena, but the city itself was eerily quiet. “Squad, report,” he ordered in a low voice. “Any guards?”

_“Scorch here. I’ve got nothing.”_

_ “Four-Oh reporting. All clear.”_

_ “Nothing on my scopes, sir.”_

“Okay. Let’s regroup at the entrance.” Boss straightened and moved back along the wall to the front, where Snap was occupied in hotwiring the door.

General Fisto stood behind him, arms folded as he stared contemplatively up at the sky. The stars reflected oddly in his large eyes as he turned to face Boss. “All ready, Sergeant?”

“Yes, sir. No guards outside the Cauldron.”

“Are the entrance doors closed?” asked Rex, glancing up from where he stood with Kix and Jesse.

“Closed and locked.”

“That is odd,” said the general. “If there should be an emergency, the people would have no way to escape.”

“Maybe they don’t want anyone breaking in,” shrugged Jesse.

General Fisto looked pensive. “It seems more likely that they wouldn’t want anyone breaking _out.” _

Rex nodded. “General, we could land the _Twilight _outside the main door. That would give us two escape routes.”

“Three, with the landspeeder,” replied the Nautolan.

“Right. Switch, you hear that?”

_“Yes, Captain,”_ replied the pilot’s voice. _“We’ll wait for your signal.”_

Boss moved over to his squad just as Advisor said, _“Fifteen minutes until the event begins.”_

Snap stepped back from the panel. “Door’s clear.”

“Good.” General Fisto glided forward. “Let’s get to the prison door. I sense three guards. . .”

Boss activated his sensor to double-check. Three lifeforms, all positioned just inside the entrance. _Convenient._

The door opened noiselessly, and a sharp voice demanded, “Who’s there?”

“No one of importance.” The general stepped aside.

After Rex and Jesse fired off a couple of shots each, Rex holstered his pistols. “Get those guys secured.”

While Snap and Gadget worked on that, General Fisto slashed through the door controls to lock them open.

Rex led the way down the stairs and to a wide, empty basement. After a quick look around, he lifted his comlink. “Oddball, get the ship here. Door’s open.”

_ “Copy that, sir.”_

Boss joined Fixer. “Did you find the jamming device?”

“Negative. It’s somewhere below the arena pit itself, but I can’t pinpoint the location.”

Advisor’s voice crackled faintly._ “It’ll be shielded. We might lose communications once you move farther in. I’ll do what I can from this end.”_

“All right.” Boss flicked two fingers, signaling Sev and Scorch to stand guard. “We’ll try to get everyone back here for extraction.”

Fixer removed the control panel from the inner door and started adjusting wires.

General Fisto spun his lightsaber around one hand. “Yes, we will try for that. . . but be _prepared _for anything.”

“Anything,” quoted Rex, grim amusement in his voice. “That’s a pretty long list, General.”

Scorch propped one foot on a nearby bench and rested his rifle on his knee. “Hey, it just means we can’t be too prepared.” He leaned one arm across the rifle’s muzzle.

Boss frowned, but of course his frown was invisible behind his helmet. He looked pointedly in Six-Two’s direction, waited until he caught the other commando’s attention, and made a slashing motion across his throat. Scorch promptly resituated his weapon to comply with safety regulations.

The best thing about the _kill _motion was that it was universal. It applied to anything the recipient might be doing incorrectly, and Thirty-Eight didn’t have to say a word – at least, not until one of his squad mates did something dangerous that the GAR hadn’t yet invented a regulation against.

_Delta Squad’s been the direct cause of three army-wide regulations so far, and we’re only a few months into the war. _He wasn’t sure whether to feel concerned or proud; maybe a little of each. 

Jesse shifted his weapon from one hand to the other. “We’ll have to go in with everything we have.”

“Yeah?” Sev managed to convey his scorn through a microscopic tilt of his red-marked helmet. “Is there any other way?”

Kix looked up. “I’m sure you’d know.”

“That’s enough,” ordered Rex. “Jesse, Kix, tone it down.”

They nodded, and Sev subsided as well, holding back the comment that he’d obviously been about to make.

Fixer stepped away from the door. “Boss, this might take a while to bypass. I think I can get the blast doors opened, but there’s a second door already sealed behind it.”

“We’re short on time.” Boss signaled for his squad to form up. “Get us through the blast doors, and we’ll use a charge on the secondaries. General, it might be better if you stay back until we know the situation.”

“Indeed?”

“If the guards get an alarm to Dooku that there are clones attacking, he’ll just send more men to deal with us.”

“Ah, I see. And if he finds out I am here, he’ll come down himself.”

Boss inclined his head. 

“Very well, Sergeant. I’ll wait for your signal.”

The blast doors sprang open. Boss reached for one of his charges, but Fixer stepped back in confusion. “That didn’t open from this en –”

The door exploded inward, throwing Fixer against the wall. Boss dodged a flying piece of metal and fired into the billowing smoke. The general dropped to his knees and flung both hands outward, hurling the clanking droids back.

Boss charged through the twisted remnants of the door, Scorch beside him. As they entered, they turned to the right and left, shooting down the droids in front and leaving Sev to take out any that were between them.

Advisor’s wry voice crackled in Thirty-Eight’s ears. _“Well, they know you’re there now, Deltas.”_

“Thanks for the update,” Boss said. He swung his rifle up with one hand, shooting down a droid while knifing a second.

_“Get to th . . . panel. . . can.”_ There was another burst of static, and the signal vanished completely.

“Signal lost, sir,” Scorch reported obviously, ducking a couple of shots.

Thirty-Eight grabbed the attacking droid by the neck, and one of Sev’s sniper rounds hit it between the eyes. Boss tossed the droid aside and observed the empty hall, which ended at another sealed door. “You okay, Forty?”

“All set, sir,” came Fixer’s breathless reply.

“Gotta love this armor, right?” Scorch added, flicking at a new blaster mark on his chest plate. 

Boss pointed at the door. “Get us through.”

“Watch it.” Rex joined them at a run, both pistols raised. “They might come through the same way on this door.”

“Yeah.” Scorch hesitated for half an instant, then shrugged. “I’ll bet I can set a charge faster than they can, though.”

The clones split to either side, ducking behind the meager cover offered by the curved walls. Scorch dashed to the door, slapped the charge in place, activated it, and stepped back.

The charge went off and the doors sprang apart. Rex was up and running before the droids could recover from their programmed surprise. He ducked their shots, twisting and maneuvering through their lines as he fired with both pistols.

“Huh.” Sev sounded impressed. “He’s going to die.”

Jesse slipped past Scorch, stepped on a droid that was trying to get up, and blasted another. “Eh, he’s got a charmed life or something.”

“No,” disagreed Kix, running forward to a new cover position. “He’s just crazy.”

“Criticizing your CO, Kix?” Rex called from where he was putting the last droid out of its mechanical misery.

Kix did not apologize.

Another door blocked their way forward. Boss grabbed a breach charge and tossed it to Rex. “This is getting a bit redundant.”

“Eh, the Seps aren’t all that original,” Rex said apologetically, setting the charge.

The doors sprang open, and lasers streaked down the corridor. The clones scattered to either side.

“I can’t see the enemy!” called Jesse.

Boss caught sight of a human poking his head around the door, and sent a few shots in his direction. “That’s because they aren’t droids. Cover me.”

He grabbed at a flashbang as two thermals rolled through the doors towards them, red lights blinking faster and faster.

General Fisto dashed past Boss and Force-pushed the grenades back towards the enemy. Yells of alarm and the thumping sounds of a hasty retreat were followed by a loud explosion.

Scorch lowered his gun. “Okay, that was useful.”

There was a half-instant of silence, and then a _thunk _followed by a high-pitched whistling.

Boss jerked around, shielding his head with both arms. “Get down!”

The missile struck the floor between the two groups.


	29. Chapter 29

Anakin paced the length of the large cell, ignoring the irked look Obi-Wan sent his way. He reached the wall, touched it with one hand, and spun to pace in the other direction.

Waxer, Boil, Ghost and Det were sitting on a bench behind Obi-Wan, who stood with his arms folded. Fives and Echo walked back and forth opposite to Anakin, while Trap, Flash and Namer stood near the metal door that separated them from the arena.

Just as Anakin cast a glance at the door, it shifted, then retracted into the ceiling with a dull _whir. _He stepped back, and the clones gathered around him.

A roar of sound filled Anakin's ears as thousands of spectators jumped to their feet, screaming and yelling. He disregarded them in favor of studying his surroundings. The brightly lit, sand-covered floor of the Cauldron stretched out in front of the metal bars that blocked his way forward.

The floor was surrounded by a wall of stone that stretched up to a height of ten meters and ended just below the first row of seats. At the far end of the pit was another metal cage, identical to the one Anakin and his companions stood in – except that it was also blocked by a ray shield.

Something large moved back and forth behind the wavering red light.

"Umm. . ." Echo came up beside him and stared at the roaring crowd. "General . . ."

Namer narrowed his eyes. "They sound ready to attack."

"They won't," Anakin said. "They're just here for the fun."

Obi-Wan huffed disdainfully, rubbing at his stiff shoulder. "I'd hardly call this _fun._"

"Yeah," said Fives warily. "I don't want to end up plastered all over this arena by a bunch of screaming civilians."

"Ah, just ignore them, Fives." Anakin clapped him on the shoulder. "They don't want to be eaten alive any more than we do."

"Eaten alive?" Waxer looked over at Boil. "Like with those gutkurr on Ryloth?"

Anakin pointed. "I don't know about that, but there's _something_ big in that cage."

A group of guards marched across the sand towards them, and the screaming outside intensified. An enormous man, carrying a spear and wearing plate armor and half a dozen knives, unlocked a small door that formed part of the cage front. "Come on out, Jedi filth."

Anakin sighed and shook his head sadly as he complied. "You know what amazes me," he commented over his shoulder. "They always use the same insult."

"Yes," said Obi-Wan dryly. "I'm sure your point merits consideration. But for heaven's sake, not _now, _Anakin!"

"Okay, shut it!" yelled the guard, prodding Anakin with his spear. He turned and studied the others for a moment before pointing at Fives. "Get over here! You and your buddy."

Fives glanced at Echo, who stood the closest, and the man nodded.

As Anakin stepped into the arena, with Fives and Echo on either side, the crowd surged to its feet, screaming and hurling insults. The guards shut the door behind them and ran across the sand to a small, shielded guard room directly beneath the seating area.

"My fellow citizens!" Tar Saresh's voice echoed throughout the building, and Anakin looked up to see him standing on a platform above the second cage. Behind him was Dooku, and beside him stood a cloaked and hooded Ventress.

"There you are," Anakin muttered.

Saresh leaned forward, gesturing widely. "Before we begin, the illustrious Count, who has graciously allowed us this evening's entertainment, has a few words to say!"

A grudging silence fell.

Dooku stepped to the front. "Thank you, Saresh. Many of you have requested that the Jedi be put to death by the citizens."

Shouts of affirmation. Anakin folded his arms and feigned boredom.

"However, these particular Jedi are two of the most powerful in the Order. Anakin Skywalker's feats are known throughout the galaxy. Master Kenobi killed a Sith when still very young."

"You did, General?" asked Ghost.

"Yes, a long time ago." Obi-Wan sounded impatient. "I wonder what the count's game is this time?"

When the jeering died down, Dooku smiled benevolently at the crowd. "For this reason, and for your protection, Asajj Ventress has decided it best that the Jedi and clone troopers should be pitted against only the best of Rattatak's gladiators . . . and the strongest of the Cauldron's creatures."

A surge of discontent and excitement echoed across the Force. Anakin shifted, trying to ignore the eddying and shifting emotions around him, and glanced at Echo, who was staring up at Dooku in patriotic dislike.

"Never run into the count before?" Anakin grinned.

"No, sir. This is our first assignment since Rishi."

"I _know_, I wasn't being serious –"

Echo tilted his head questioningly, and Anakin shrugged. "Never mind."

"Positions, General?" asked Fives, watching as the ray shield at the far end was shut off.

"Right. We've got . . ." Anakin looked around. "No cover. And no weapons."

"Great," Fives huffed. "How do we – whoa! What the heck is _that?_"

"Oh," called Obi-Wan from behind the bars. "This does look familiar."

A chittering noise rose over the yelling that surrounded them, and a huge, green, six-legged creature with clawed forelegs stalked out of the second cage. It reared back to scream at the crowd, and then it caught sight of Anakin. Shaking its flat head, it scampered toward them on four legs, keeping its pincers raised.

"Yeah, so that's an acklay," Anakin said, pulling back against the cage bars. "It's big, has a mouth full of spiny teeth, and stabs with its claws."

"Got it," said Fives. "We have a plan of attack?"

Anakin looked at him. "Not really?"

"Whatever you do, stay away from its teeth," Obi-Wan interjected helpfully.

Anakin was in the middle of rolling his eyes when he came up with a plan. He motioned Fives and Echo to either side. "Stay against the cage! Obi-Wan, you and the other guys get ready!"

"I hope I'm not thinking the same thing you are," Obi-Wan said.

"You are." Anakin brought up both hands, using the Force to fling a sheet of sand at the advancing monster. With a shriek of pain, the acklay ducked its head, drawing its forelegs over its face. The crowd screamed approvingly.

The acklay sprang at Anakin, flinging one claw straight at him. At the last possible instant, he ducked, and its claw went between two of the bars.

Obi-Wan sidestepped just in time. He and Waxer and Boil grabbed the acklay's claw, trapping it against a bar.

Anakin jumped, grabbing for its neck.

The second claw slammed into him from the side, knocking him sprawling, and he glanced up to see a mouthful of teeth snap shut just shy of his face. Someone jerked at his wrists as the acklay drew back.

Fives yanked Anakin up and yelled, "Echo, you _idiot!"_

Bewildered, Anakin brushed his face free of sand and glanced around. The acklay was still trapped, straining to pull itself free. Its free claw snapped and clicked, trying to reach Echo, who was scrambling to back away.

"Anakin, whatever you're trying to do, hurry!" called Obi-Wan. "We can't hold it here much longer!"

Anakin leaped into the air, landing on the acklay's back, just behind its neck. "Fives, Echo! Get up here."

He leaned down to assist them.

Echo used both hands to balance himself against the acklay's back. "General, how are we going to kill this thing?"

"Just stay ready," replied Anakin. He dove forward and locked his arms and legs around the acklay's long neck, swinging around so that his weight dragged its head toward the ground.

"Yeah, that'll work great." Fives, sounding incredibly unenthusiastic, leaned forward to keep his gaze on Anakin. "Anything you want us to do, sir?"

"Gotta work on that attitude, Fives," grunted Anakin. "I'm not _trying _to choke it myself, I want it to –"

The acklay reared back and snapped at Anakin with its pincer-like claw.

"General Kenobi!" shouted Fives, catching on to the plan. "Let it go!"

With its second claw free, the acklay lurched back, snapping viciously at the human dangling from its neck. Anakin performed an upside down backflip, landed on its head with both feet, and promptly fell.

Echo caught him by the wrists and Fives dragged them both up. The acklay screeched horribly and jolted sideways, one claw pincered around its own throat.

The clones jumped free, landing hard in the sand. Anakin followed, tripping over Echo, and they scrambled up and backed away from the dying creature.

Now that the threat of imminent death was no longer driving him, the shadows in Anakin's mind were returning. He shook his head, trying to clear it as the crowd screamed, excitement and anger radiating side by side through the huge building.

The acklay crumpled sideways, its spiny legs bent awkwardly around it. The guards rushed back out into the arena and surrounded them. Anakin's first instinct was to fight his way past them, but the prick of a spear against his shoulders made him reconsider.

He moved slowly back toward the cage with Fives and Echo.

"The Jedi wins the first round!" Tar Saresh's voice echoed gleefully around the arena.

Anakin stopped and turned to glower up at him. _A million credits. Money-grubbing scum. _

* * *

The grenades had just exploded in the next room when a sense of even greater danger made Kit Fisto lunge forward.

The commando sergeant ducked, shouting, "Get down!"

They were out of time. Kit summoned the Force in a powerful blast that sent the regular troopers flying just as the missile hit.

He was thrown against the corner between the wall and the ceiling, his hastily summoned shield barely protecting him from the wave of light and heat. Shrapnel peppered his arms and hands, and he sent a vaguely thankful thought to Commander Monnk, who had introduced him – rather forcefully – to the novel idea of wearing vambraces in battle.

He landed hard, barely managing to get a hand on the ground before he would have smashed his face against the stone. The corridor reeled around him.

The ringing in his ears was gradually replaced with shouting and laserfire. Rex was yelling for his men to take cover.

Kit Fisto groped for his lightsaber and stumbled upright, bracing himself against the wall until the dizzying motion stopped.

Directly in front of him, Sev had just gotten to his knees and was firing his pistol repeatedly. Boss, fallen to one side, struggled unsuccessfully to rise. Scorch crawled toward his rifle.

Fixer, who had been the farthest away from the explosion, got up and ran to the door, staying out of Sev's line of fire. He positioned himself between the other troopers as they fought desperately to hold back the oncoming horde of droids.

Kit steadied himself, activated his lightsaber, and lunged forward.

A super battle droid stepped through the door, brushed Snap aside with one metal arm, and fired twice. Gadget dropped with a cry. Kix spun towards him, leaving the cover of the door.

Fixer caught his arm and dragged him back. "Keep fighting," he ordered in a flat voice, then lunged forward to stab his vibroblade into the super droid's heavy armor.

Kit Fisto slipped past Fixer, slashed his blade through the droid, and stood in the doorway, reflecting shot after shot back at the droids. "We'll cover you, Kix! Fixer?"

"Right behind you, sir."

Kit Fisto leaped forward into the ranks of droids. Fixer stepped to the side, coolly taking down the droids to Kit's left. Rex and Scorch joined them on the right a moment later. Between the Jedi's lightsaber and the clones' blasters, they had the corridor clear in a few seconds.

Kit Fisto glanced at the others. "Well done. Let's regroup."

They re-entered the hall to see Kix kneeling over Gadget, who was gasping and twitching, hands clenched as the medic removed his chest plate. Kix took one look at the injury and tensed.

"We've got to move before they send reinforcements," Fixer said, his tone flat.

"No," snapped Kix, yanking out an analgesic and jabbing it into Gadget's neck. "We can't move him."

"I'm not going to make it," Gadget ground out. "You guys –"

"Shut up." Kix shoved the torn edges of the black bodysuit away from the heavily bleeding injury and injected a coagulant. "Your job is to focus on breathing."

Fixer turned silently and went back to his squad, Scorch trailing behind him. Boss had just gotten up, one arm clasped tightly against his side. Sev loaded another clip into his blaster.

Kit Fisto knelt beside Kix and held a hand over Gadget, sensing the depth of the injury. "You can do nothing more here, Kix," he said.

"Maybe not, but I can try!" It didn't take a Jedi to feel the heated glare Kix gave him.

Kit closed his eyes. If he chose to help Gadget, he might be able to save him, but it would take time – time the prisoners, including his fellow Jedi, did not have. If he chose not to help Gadget, the trooper would die. Save one, or save many? Try to aid the person who needed his help now, or leave him in favor of the others?

These thoughts must have taken only an instant, because when he looked at Kix the medic was in the exact same position, his eyes flashing with barely suppressed outrage and helplessness. It was obvious that he knew he could do nothing further.

"I will help him," Kit Fisto said calmly. "There are others who need your skill."

Without waiting for an answer, he closed his eyes and entered a healing trance, only vaguely aware when Kix finally moved to obey him.


	30. Chapter 30

Rex scanned the room, which was empty of everything but dysfunctional droids, before turning back into the corridor. General Fisto knelt, his face serene as he held one hand over Gadget. The injured trooper lay barely conscious, mouth tight with pain despite the meds Kix had given him.

At the far end of the corridor, Kix was patching up a laser burn on Snap's arm while Jesse checked and loaded their weapons.

Behind him, Boss nodded to Scorch and got to his feet as though he'd never been injured. Rex knew that commandos were given bacta-processing implants, but he hadn't realized they worked so quickly. Of course, considering the number of enemies they went up against on a daily basis, they probably needed the implants to complete each mission, let alone many in a row.

Kix, who had expressed doubt when told the commandos didn't need his help, performed a slight double-take as they moved quickly past him to join Rex.

"Captain," said Boss in his calm voice. "The games started five minutes ago. Want us to get up there and start causing trouble?"

Rex shook his head, all too aware of the passing time. "We only get one shot at this."

"Yeah," Scorch interjected. "And hesitation causes casualties."

"So does rushing in," Rex replied firmly. "We make a mistake, none of us get out of here. The hall we just cleared splits in two directions. Two groups. Let's find a way to get the others out. Kix!"

"Yes, Captain."

"Get Gadget back to the shuttle once the general's ready and then join us. Watch yourself."

"Yes, sir." Kix slung his medic pack back on his shoulders and accepted his rifle from Jesse.

Rex gestured to the others and led them toward the next corridor. "Sergeant, I recommend splitting our forces. I'll take Snap and send Jesse with you."

Boss' orange-marked helmet tilted consideringly. "Sev, with me. Fixer, Scorch, help Rex out."

The clones moved across the room at a run, pausing at the doorway for an instant to make sure they were clear to move. Boss lowered his left fist in a sharp motion, and they split in opposite directions.

Rex tapped his comm before they'd reached the end of the hall. "If anyone finds that jamming device, shut it down."

_"Yes, sir."_ Sev's low voice was almost inaudible through the static.

There was one room in the hall ahead of Rex. It was unguarded – that last skirmish must have pulled in the sentry droids. Rex stepped inside and surveyed the computer system. Several screens above the long control panel were on standby. "Comm center?"

"Most likely." Fixer flipped a switch and a screen blinked on, demanding a password. He plugged a small device into the consol. The screen blinked red a couple of times before switching to green. Fixer replaced the device on his belt with a flourish. "And green means go. Captain, this looks like a comm and security center. I can get into any systems you might need."

"Excellent." Rex glanced at Scorch and Snap, who moved to guard the door. "Let's get to work."

* * *

Thirty-Eight checked out the small room on his side of the hall while Sev glanced into the one opposite. "No jamming device here, Boss."

"Same here, but the interference is getting stronger."

Jesse pointed at the last room with his gun. "It must be in there, then."

"I'll head in first," Boss told him. "Get ready."

He hit the door panel and stepped in, then dodged back to cover, switching his pistol to his left hand.

"Hey!" yelled a droid in its nasal voice. "I just saw a clone!"

"Kill it!" another ordered. A flurry of red lasers skimmed into the corridor and ate away at the stone wall in front of Boss.

Sev and Jesse opened fire from the opposite side of the door. After giving the droids a couple of seconds to notice the new targets, Boss joined in.

A single droid sergeant made it through the door, but Sev cut short its career with a well-placed pistol shot to the head. "That's a kill," he muttered.

Jesse stepped into the room. "Yeah, that was actually more like your sixth kill."

"I never count them all . . . out loud."

A large, faintly whirring object opposite the door caught Thirty-Eight's attention. As he moved closer, a flicker of static crossed over his HUD screen. "Well, well. I think we've located the jamming device."

Jesse cast an uncertain look at the device. "It's got a pretty good shield. Do we deactivate that first?"

"No need." Boss armed a thermal and rolled it gently across the floor. It slipped through the shield and went off, utterly destroying the device.

* * *

Two guards forced Anakin through the door of the caged room. The instant they released him, he spun away and brought his clasped hands down on the back of the Weequay's neck, then kicked him in the stomach.

The heavily armored guard caught Anakin by one arm and jerked, making him stumble to one side. Anakin caught his balance and turned to rush back into the fight.

Namer caught his arms, stopping him just before Anakin would have run into the electrostaff the guard now pointed at him.

He reluctantly stayed where he was. More guards entered the room and pulled Waxer, Boil, Det and Obi-Wan toward the doors.

Saresh flung his arms to either side. "Release the kath hounds!" he shouted gleefully. "Kenobi! Prove yourself to be the great Jedi of the stories, or die ignominiously!"

"My, my," said Obi-Wan, edging by the guard's staff. "Such advanced vocabulary for so uncivilized a person."

The guard hit him.

"General," said Boil, as he also moved outside. "Maybe you shouldn't talk while they're here."

The Weequay shoved him against the wall.

Obi-Wan sniffed sardonically. "I think you may be right."

Boil gave him a look that was a cross between unimpressed and irritated. Waxer and Det were brought up behind them, and the door swung shut.

The prisoners inside moved up to the bars.

"Okay," said Fives slowly. "I take it they're just going to keep putting us in there until we fail?"

Anakin rubbed his forehead. "You've never seen an arena fight before, have you?"

The animals' cage door opened.

"It wasn't exactly a recommended form of recreation on Kamino, sir," said Fives.

Anakin gave him an unamused eyeroll.

A dozen heavy, horned animals thudded into the arena, whipping their heads from side to side. The lead creature pawed the ground and let out a loud, challenging roar before charging forward. The other creatures followed, the ground vibrating beneath their weight.

"Kath hounds are naturally non-aggressive beings," announced Obi-Wan as the baying creatures lunged across the sand-covered floor.

The clones stared at him in tandem.

"Master," yelled Anakin as the hounds drew nearer. "Stop focusing on their mindset and start focusing on surviving!"

"Not to worry, Anakin." Taking a step back, Obi-Wan held out both hands and bent his head.

Beside him, Det flinched back from the oncoming creatures. Waxer elbowed him and signaled 'wait'.

The kath hounds slowed their headlong charge and drew closer to Obi-Wan, snapping their tusked jaws every few steps.

Trap shifted his weight. "What is the general doing?"

"Same thing he did on Ryloth," replied Ghost.

The kath hounds moved slowly toward Obi-Wan, who just as slowly walked backward and sideways, edging toward the room where the guards were sequestered.

The crowd seemed as mesmerized as the creatures. Anakin glanced up at Dooku in time to see him lean forward and whisper to Saresh.

"Uh-oh," he muttered. "Dooku's caught on."

As though he had heard, Obi-Wan said, "Get ready."

Boil, Waxer and Det moved to flank the creatures.

The guards in the room edged away, looking alarmed.

With a sudden flurry of motion, Obi-Wan lowered his arms and jumped away, soaring over the creatures' heads to land behind them. The lead hound tilted its head sideways and charged straight into the electrified shield surrounding the guard room. It flickered and buzzed.

The hound sprang back with an agonized howl, and the other creatures responded, flinging themselves against the threat.

The shield crackled, flickered, and vanished. The metal bars bent. The guards fired repeatedly at the animals.

While their attention was divided, Det rushed forward. He jammed his arm between the bars, snatched a gun from the nearest guard, and spun to fire.

A kath hound slammed into him, throwing him back against the bars. The gun went flying, and Waxer retrieved it as Obi-Wan rushed in to pull Det away.

The crowd's screaming intensified as the heavy animals broke through the bolted door and the guards scrambled to escape.

Shoving an unconscious Det at Boil, Obi-Wan dropped to his knees, once more focusing his will on the creatures.

After a long, tension-filled moment, the hounds turned and moved slowly back toward the Jedi. The air shook with the citizens' disapproving shouts.

Anakin stared, unable to believe his eyes. Obi-Wan was deliberately putting himself and the others in harm's way for the_ enemy?_ He couldn't hold those creatures for long, and every second he held them, he was weakening himself.

Waxer hesitated, unwilling to fire and break the trance Obi-Wan held the kath hounds in. Boil dragged Det back to the others' prison and dropped him in the sand, then rushed back to the guard room, which was now empty – the guards had escaped through a door in the back.

Boil and Waxer wrenched the bent door completely open and snatched up all the weapons they could carry.

"Get 'em in here, guys!" Trap yelled encouragingly.

Namer knelt and leaned through the bars, trying to wake Det.

Across from the first guard room, another door opened, and armored men rushed to contain the situation.

"Boil!" snapped Anakin. "Get me a weapon, now!"

Boil shoved two holdout blasters through the bars.

Anakin grabbed one and tossed the other to Flash. "Kill the hounds first!" Trap and Fives were also armed by now, and they and Flash fired rapidly at the remaining kath hounds.

Anakin fired three shots into the sand in front of the oncoming men. "STAY BACK!"

They stopped abruptly, looking up at Tar Saresh for direction.

Waxer and Boil moved back to Obi-Wan, flanking him. Trap and Flash covered them while Anakin and Fives pointed their own weapons up at the main viewing balcony.

The orange Twi'lek leaned over the railing, grinning widely. "An excellent performance, Jedi Kenobi! But you must realize I cannot let you keep those weapons."

Obi-Wan looked up and called back, "We've killed your acklay and your kath hounds. Do you have still more creatures?"

"But of course, Jedi! I did not expect the first few to kill so famous a warrior as yourself. First, though – your weapons."

None of the prisoners moved.

The guards edged closer.

Something flickered at the back of Anakin's consciousness. He jerked his arm back through the bars and whirled just as the prison door slammed open.

An enormous, brown-skinned Zabrak lunged into the room and swung a vicious, right-handed blow at Ghost, who dodged straight into his second blow. The Zabrak yanked him upright, using him as a shield as more guards rushed into the room.

The barred door lifted into the ceiling, allowing the prisoners access to the sandy pit beyond. Anakin leaned toward the illusion of freedom.

The armed clones stepped back, gaining room to fire.

A few meters away, Obi-Wan, Waxer and Boil faced down their own opponents.

Anakin turned his attention back to the Zabrak and his prisoner. Catching Ghost's gaze, he narrowed his eyes. _Give me an opening, Ghost. _"All right, guys," he said to the troopers. "It's do or die here."

The Zabrak tightened his grip and glanced over at his own men. "Take them down."

Ghost jerked forward and drove his elbow into the Zabrak's chest. Anakin lashed out, using his pistol like a club as the clones rushed the guards.

The Zabrak, who had Ghost in an armlock despite the trooper's repeated attacks, blocked Anakin's blow and kicked his feet out from under him. Anakin rolled back to his feet and jumped back, scarcely avoiding the blow aimed at his chin.

Ghost twisted and ducked, broke loose of the armlock, and lashed out.

The Zabrak caught his blow in one hand and pivoted on his heel, then lifted his knee, jerking Ghost's outstretched arm down against it. Anakin flinched at the sharp _snap _of armor and bone that followed.

Ghost reeled back. The Zabrak brushed Anakin aside, lunged past into the arena, and knocked Boil sprawling.

"My friends!" Saresh's voice boomed theatrically through the loudspeakers. "You all remember Viscus Gaan, undisputed champion of the Cauldron!"

Roars of approval followed. Viscus Gaan grabbed Waxer and hurled him against Obi-Wan before pausing to acknowledge the crowd.

A rush of helpless anger filled Anakin. He clenched his fist, Force-lifting a guard, and threw him into the wall as Tar Saresh continued his speech. "Viscus, let us see if you can defeat the Jedi and their men!"

Fives, struggling upright from having his face shoved into the sand, yelled in irritation. "Agh! Does he _ever _shut UP?!"

The guard who knelt on his back drew a gun. Flash swooped in, plucked it from his grasp, and slammed him over the head with it. Fives bucked the now-unconscious man off and floundered upright, cursing and spitting sand.

The arena was in chaos. Anakin gritted his teeth, dodged a flying guard – _nice one, Trap! –_ leaped into the air, and came down hard on Gaan's back. They both fell, but the Zabrak got up first.

Viscus Gaan snatched Anakin by the front of his tunic and held him up at arms-length. "You have lost, Jedi."

The kick Anakin landed on the Zabrak's stomach was insultingly ineffective. Gaan simply laughed and threw him back to land against Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan grunted in surprised annoyance as they both went sprawling. "Get _off_ me, Anakin!"

"Well, sorry. . ." Anakin took a quick breath, rolled to his feet, and plunged back into the fray.


	31. Chapter 31

Kit Fisto came slowly out of his healing trance, gradually recovering awareness of his surroundings. He opened his eyes to see that the other troopers had gone, leaving Kix standing on guard nearby. Gadget was awake and watching him, his gaze awed and curious.

Kit grinned and rested a hand on his arm. "You are not entirely healed, Gadget, but you will live."

". . . _Thank_ _you_, General."

Kix, who had come over at the first movement from the Jedi, knelt to check the injury. "General, this is – I've never seen anything like it!"

"Many Jedi are unfortunately incapable of it." Kit Fisto jumped to his feet. "It is a useful skill, though. Come, let us get Gadget to the _Predator." _

He and Kix, with Gadget between them, were halfway back to Saresh's house when their comlinks blinked and Boss spoke. _"Jamming device disabled. Check in."_

Advisor's voice came through clearly. _"Good work, Delta Lead."_

_"Four-Oh reporting. We're in the control room."_

Kit Fisto lifted his free arm. "General Fisto here. Advisor, we're coming up on the shuttle."

_"I've got you on sensors, sir."_

Rex spoke. _"If we've got sensors back, so do the enemy. Regroup at the control room ASAP."_

They reached the stairs leading up to Saresh's house just as Oddball ran down to join them. "I'll take him from here, General."

Kit transferred Gadget over to him before speaking again. "Captain, can you see what's happening in the arena?"

_"Not yet. Fixer's trying to get access."_

_"We'll pick you up on our way by, General,"_ Boss offered.

"Very well. We'll be with you shortly. Come, Kix, let's not keep them waiting."

* * *

Cody recovered consciousness with a jerk, but kept his eyes closed. After a confused moment of not remembering what had happened, he listed off what he could ascertain with his other senses: he was lying on his side, his hands were cuffed behind his head, his throat hurt, and there were no sounds indicating the presence of enemies.

He shifted, then added something else to the list. His muscles felt as though he'd spent two days running suicides. _ARC training was not fun. Commander Colt and his endurance drills. . . Where am I? _

Did it even matter? He couldn't get out of Dooku's office one way or the other. _Oh, wait. Dooku's office . . . that's where I am. _

Cody shook his head in an attempt to focus his thoughts as Colt's voice rang in his head: "A slow soldier is a dead soldier!"

With a reluctant sigh, Cody opened his eyes and got to his knees, wondering exactly how many times on this mission he was going to be knocked unconscious. First he'd been captured, then he and General Skywalker were re-captured, then. . . _What happened this time? Something about Ventress._

Cody brought his hands down from behind his head and used the wall for support as he dragged himself painfully to his feet. He tried to take a step and promptly collapsed to his knees. _Okay, maybe I should give it a minute. . . What happened? Ventress. . . Ventress. . ._

Ventress had brought him here.

Dooku had been sitting behind the desk, speaking with a huge Zabrak male. As Cody came in, the Sith lord was speaking. "Kill Kenobi, not Skywalker. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Count." The Zabrak bowed and left.

Cody was wondering if he'd heard wrong – hadn't Dooku been _trying_ to kill General Skywalker since Geonosis? – when Ventress shoved him forward and said, "I'll be in the prison level, Master."

"Thank you, Ventress." The white-haired count waited until Ventress had left before turning to Cody with a polite nod. "I have some questions for you."

Primary interrogation protocol: the prisoner must not engage in conversation with the interrogator. So Cody didn't. Instead, he sent a challenging look in Count Dooku's general direction.

Dooku stood up, set his communicator gently down, and came around the desk. "I expected stubbornness. But I promise you, it would be to your advantage to obey me."

Cody thought that it would be to his advantage to reply mentally, since he couldn't reply aloud. _Just let me get my hands on a weapon, traitor, and stubbornness will be the least of your worries._

Dooku looked at him keenly, as though he'd heard his prisoner's thoughts. Maybe he had. The Jedi had some weird abilities, and Dooku was, after all, a fallen Jedi. . . they probably had even weirder abilities than Jedi did.

Dooku took a step forward. "You are Commander Cody of the Two-Twelfth Attack Battalion."

_No, really. _

". . . Obi-Wan Kenobi's battalion."

Cody waited for the Sith Lord to tell him something he didn't already know.

After a long moment, Dooku raised his white eyebrows. "I don't have much time. The Jedi want to capture Ventress. Why?"

_Long story short, we're trying to win a war. . . _

"I could tear the answer from your mind."

_I'd bet fifty credits you don't know that the generals have been teaching us how to mind-shield. _Cody was proficient at it, and Rex was not. Attack, not defense, was Rex's strong point; but even he had successfully resisted Ventress' mind trick back on Teth.

Dooku stared at him, eyes dark and piercing. Cody stared back, and Dooku frowned. "Perhaps it would be a waste of my time."

_Perhaps you're just not very good at it. You didn't even try. _His answer sounded just a bit like something General Skywalker would have said._ Now there's a disturbing thought. _

"Then answer me this," said Dooku. "Now that they have failed, will the Jedi continue to come after Ventress?"

Cody kept his mouth shut.

Dooku lowered his hands. "You _will_ answer me, Commander."

Blue electricity arched from his fingertips. Cody had just time to register alarm before he was on the ground, biting his tongue and yanking the cuffs against the back of his neck to keep himself quiet.

The searing pain stopped abruptly, and Cody dragged himself to his knees again, calling the Sith in general, and Dooku in particular, every unflattering name he could dream up.

Dooku drew closer, a wary look in his dark eyes. "Perhaps I was mistaken. Perhaps the Jedi don't want to capture Ventress. . . Perhaps the Chancellor ordered her capture. Is this true?"

Cody spat blood at his feet.

The count glanced down as though bored. "I have destroyed _Jedi_ before."

_Yeah. You used to be one, and now you're not. _Cody tested the cuffs around his wrists, wondering if he had enough time to bring his hands down and attack Dooku.

The oddly suspicious look was gone from Dooku's eyes, but he still seemed a bit anxious when he said, "Well, Commander?"

Cody decided it would be best to get the strands that held his cuffs together over Dooku's head and around his throat. He needed only a half-second of distraction. . .

It was just as well that Dooku had kept General Skywalker's lightsaber and was wearing it on his belt. Cody stared intently at it for a moment, then back up, as though startled.

Dooku frowned thoughtfully. "You seem surprised that I have Skywalker's lightsaber, Commander."

Cody glanced slightly to one side in an expression guilty shinies tended to wear when their superiors hollered at them. _Next time Wolffe calls me out on my sabacc face . . ._

"Do you have reason to think that Skywalker is in possession of a lightsaber?"

Cody went absolutely still.

A flicker of concern passed through Dooku's eyes. He turned back to the desk, reaching towards his comlink.

Cody jumped to his feet, lunged, and flung his weight against Dooku's back, knocking the older man off-balance. As he tried to bring his hands down over Dooku's head, a violent Force-push slammed into him, pinning him against the opposite wall.

He coughed, struggling to regain his breath.

"Very clever." Dooku approached, still holding one hand out. His expression was terrifyingly neutral. "I am finished with this foolishness, Commander. Who ordered Ventress' capture?"

He lowered his hand, and Cody dropped to his knees.

Back during the RTI course that all ARC troopers were put through, Rex had been rebuked for his failure to comply with primary interrogation protocol. He'd always start out quiet, but within five minutes, he'd be sassing off to his questioners.

Dooku raised his hands.

_I think I know why, _Cody told himself. Secondary interrogation protocol: deliberately focus on something else. _Fighting back's a lot easier than – _

The room and his thoughts were cut off by another burst of lightning, which stopped almost instantly. Cody tried to get up, failed, and settled for leaning against the wall on his knees. _At least Dooku doesn't have much time. I can outlast him . . ._

Dooku moved closer. "This is your last chance before I make you beg for death."

_He couldn't use an electrostaff like a normal person, _Cody thought irately. _No, he's got to use that fragging Sith lightning. _

He glared at Dooku, inwardly cringing at what he knew was about to come.

This time, the lightning went on, and on . . . and on. Cody lasted for perhaps three seconds before giving up on the idea of not screaming.

Cody winced at the memory and leaned against the wall. He'd been questioned once more after that, and then Dooku had, apparently, tortured him until he lost consciousness. Cody didn't remember much of that last part. Presumably because he'd been losing consciousness.

_Get a grip, _he ordered himself sternly. _Going in circles won't get you anywhere._

Situation – Dooku was gone. Maybe the count had actually been telling the truth when he said he didn't have much time.

Cody tried to stand again, this time leaning against the wall until he felt steady enough to take a careful step forward. He made his way to the door and hit the control panel, which clicked. Locked.

He could shoot the panel, but there didn't seem to be blasters lying around, so Cody tried the desk. Locked. His wrists were still cuffed together, and Dooku's comlink was gone. The only thing left was the computer. . .

Cody powered it up. _Let's see if I can do anything from this end. _

He checked the door. When he turned back, the computer screen was filling up with alert after alert. The entire network had been sliced, and security measures were being shut off right and left.

Cody knew his troopers were good with computers, but even Snap wasn't this fast. _Rex must have called in the commandos. . . Perfect. Count Dooku's day is about to get a whole lot worse. _

He glanced up at the security camera in the corner. Maybe, if the commandos were watching, he could signal them to unlock the door –

A faint beep came from outside, and the door's lock disengaged.

Cody hit the power switch and spun, raising his hands defensively.

A tall, wide-shouldered man, with several knives in his belt and one strapped to the outside of each boot, stepped into the room. "Good. You're awake."

Cody cast a glance at the open door behind the guard, who moved to block his view. "Count Dooku wants me to bring you to the Cauldron."

_Which means I need a weapon. . . _

When Cody didn't move right away, the guard came into the room and prodded him toward the door.

Cody took a couple of steps, then staggered to one side. The other man grunted in annoyance, grabbed his arm, and jerked him forward. Cody collapsed bonelessly.

With a groan of irritation, the guard kicked him, hauled him upright, and pushed him into the hall. The man didn't notice that he was missing the knife from his right boot. He didn't even seem to notice that Cody was clutching an arm against his left side, even though he'd been kicked in the right side. _Idiot. _

Cody smirked all the way up to the Cauldron arena.


	32. Chapter 32

Viscus Gaan waded from one side of the fight to the other, scarcely staying in one spot long enough to deal a devastating blow before moving on to the next opponent. He seemed to be toying with his opponents, avoiding killing blows. Anakin rushed after him, dodging and ducking through the brawl that surrounded him.

Gaan caught Namer and threw him to the ground, shoved one of his own guards violently aside, punched Fives in the side of the head, and kicked Echo's feet out from under him.

Anakin leaped right over Obi-Wan, who was dealing with his own opponent, and landed directly in Gaan's path.

Viscus Gaan's eyes glittered challengingly, then flickered up to the angrily screaming crowd.

Anakin smirked. "They're still waiting for someone to die. You know, you're not giving 'em a very good show."

Behind him, Obi-Wan groaned. "_Anakin_."

The Zabrak cracked his neck. His voice was calm and matter-of-fact when he spoke. "I'll tear you to shreds, Jedi."

Anakin gave a careless shrug. "Yeah – I don't think so. My guys already took out your guys."

It was true. The guards lay strewn about the arena pit, some having been knocked out, and others shot with their own weapons. Obi-Wan came up beside Anakin just as Flash and Trap knocked the last man unconscious with a few well-coordinated blows.

Gaan raised an arm and looked up at Tar Saresh. The orange Twi'lek, no longer looking quite as cheerful as before, leaned halfway over the stone balcony and pointed at the prisoners. "All except the Jedi, Cal!"

A group of Weequay in the front row stood up, readying their blasters, and the clones dove for cover. Stun shots sizzled into the sand behind them, driving them back towards the prison.

Anakin dashed forward to help them. For half an instant, he seriously considered getting shot on purpose, just to ruin Saresh's plans.

Echo and Boil were hit. Waxer stopped to help Ghost, whose broken arm was held awkwardly against his side. Det, who had only just regained consciousness, staggered as another shot flashed past. Namer jerked him toward cover as Obi-Wan jumped between them and the Weequay.

Anakin, busy dragging Echo into the cover of the guard room with Fives, barely noticed that Gaan had vanished.

The three of them huddled in one corner as blue lasers struck the edge of the doorway. Fives checked the gun he carried, then aimed at the sand outside and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

Fives' frown was audible in his voice. "Looks like they remotely deactivated this."

Flash dove into the room, a shot just catching the side of his hand, and landed awkwardly. He was forced to roll aside as Trap barreled in, moving so fast that he hit the back wall and bounced off, smacking into Flash. They went down in a tangle with Fives.

"Any chance we can get the exit door open?" asked Trap, struggling upright.

Anakin climbed over Echo and looked around for the control panel. "It's worth a shot."

Just as he caught sight of it, a laser flashed past and hit it.

Trap let out a surprised laugh. "Worth a _shot_, all right."

Flash shoved Fives off and stared at the sparking panel. "We've got to do something!"

Anakin, who had been about to say the same thing, shut his mouth and peered out at the cage instead. Obi-Wan stood just outside it, his posture calm but his eyes uncertain.

The barred door of the main prison slid abruptly from the ceiling, cutting Obi-Wan off from the troopers, and he spun around in surprise.

Anakin cast a look at the door to the guard room, which had been so mangled by the kath hounds that it couldn't close on its own.

_Thank the Force._

Impatient yells and shouts of 'Kill the Jedi!' filled the air. A guard spoke to Count Dooku, who waved him aside with a pleased nod.

"Saresh," he said, his voice audible through the speakers.

"My good people!" cried Saresh. "Have patience – I promise you the Jedi _will _die this time!"

Anakin ground his teeth and exchanged an irritated look with Fives. This was getting tiresome.

* * *

Delta Thirty-Eight entered the control room, General Fisto a few steps behind. Rex glanced up from the computer station. "Good. Hurry, General. Look what we found."

Boss joined him, glancing over Fixer's shoulder at the screen, which was filled with active camera displays. "You accessed the security cameras."

"Yes, sir," Fixer said. "I also found the terminal that Dooku's communications came from. Here's the security feed from a couple minutes ago."

One of the little displays expanded to show a plain room. Commander Cody, leaning heavily against the desk, was staring at the computer screen and looking almost pleased about something. The scarred commander glanced directly up at the camera, then suddenly shut the computer off, spinning to face the door.

Boss watched with raised eyebrows as Cody faked a collapse and stole a knife from the guard.

"That guy didn't even notice," Scorch commented scornfully.

Snap shifted. "We have to get the commander out."

"Yeah," said Rex. "Fixer, what about the arena?"

Fixer typed for a moment. Three camera feeds grew larger. One showed a caged area with an immense, blue-green snake coiled in and around itself. Its flat-nosed face swerved from side to side as a long tongue flicked in and out between fanged jaws.

The next display showed a caged area as well. Several troopers were gathered at one side, staring out into the arena. There was no sign of General Skywalker.

Behind Boss, Jesse muttered, "Where are the others?"

The third screen showed a vast room, filled with sand. General Kenobi stood at one end, two blasters at his throat while men worked to drag dead or unconscious guards from the area. There was no sign of the other prisoners.

Boss tilted his head, observing the dead acklay and kath hounds scattered across the sand. "Looks like the Jedi aren't doing too badly."

"Indeed." General Fisto narrowed his eyes. He seemed uncertain.

Boss glanced at Rex, who was frowning at the display. Snap, Jesse and Kix stood between Sev and Scorch – all of them were looking at the general, waiting for his direction.

Fixer stepped aside and turned to Boss, who waited a moment more before speaking. "Advisor, you getting all this?"

_"Affirmative. Accessing system right. . . _now_. Give me a minute."_

Jesse and Scorch looked at each other, but neither of them said what everyone was probably thinking – that they might not _have_ a minute.

The commandos had been trained to handle hostage situations, but this was nothing like any hostage situation they'd seen. There were approximately four thousand citizens to deal with, not a simple group of gangsters or bounty hunters. There was no leverage for the troopers to work with, nothing that could prevent the disaster that would take place if the citizens tried to prevent the prisoners from escaping.

"It is possible that I could take Ventress prisoner," said Kit Fisto. "I would go in alone while you got the others out."

Rex rested a hand against his mouth, eyebrows drawn together in thought. "You'd have to deal with Ventress _and_ Dooku."

No one spoke.

Boss looked at Sev, who shook his head slightly; then at Scorch, who shrugged; and then at Fixer, who tilted his head. None of them had any ideas. Boss turned to the computer again. Commandos were the best the GAR had to offer. They were trained to handle any situation, to think and fight their way through or around any problems they might encounter. They were meant to succeed or die in the attempt. Their best chance of success here would be to destroy the Cauldron from the outside, and they couldn't. Not without risking the citizens' lives.

_And isn't that ironic._

Rex tapped the screen that showed the clones. "We'll go in through the prison, get these guys out first. Advisor, what can you do from your end?"

_"I can shut off the power, access controls . . . You'll have to take down the guards, but otherwise you're clear to get to the prison cell. There are two halls that'll take you to guard rooms on either side of the arena."_

Kit Fisto spun to face the others and drew his lightsaber. His earlier hesitance seemed to have vanished. "We will have only a small chance of success, and we must take it now. Captain, Sergeant, I will do what I can to cause a distraction. You will get the others out."

"Yes, General." Boss signed for the others to form up, not even noticing that he had taken the lead until they were halfway down the hall.

Advisor spoke directions quietly as they ran. _"Take a right, then up the stairs to a door. Ten lifeforms, and the next door takes you into the prison cell. There's a narrow corridor in the guarded hallway which leads into the east guard room."_

"Right," said Rex. "What about the west one?"

_ "You'd have to get to the other side of the arena to reach that one."_

The clones reached the door at the top of the stairs.

_"Unlocking now," _said Advisor.

Boss leaned back against the wall opposite from Rex, his rifle ready. Jesse, Kix, and Snap stood beside the captain. Scorch and Fixer hung back a little, ready to provide cover fire, while Sev knelt on the stairs, his rifle aimed between them.

"Stay out of my way," he muttered.

Scorch waved a casual acknowledgment. "Yeah, yeah."

The light on the door turned green. Rex triggered the motion sensor, and the door hissed open. Sev fired first. Boss waited until Scorch and Fixer had settled into a firing pattern, then swung around the door and stepped back against the wall on the opposite side.

The guards, all Weequay, fired back after only a half-instant of surprise, but the delay was fatal. Kix and Jesse ducked in across from Thirty-Eight, who focused his fire on the enemies at his side of the hall.

A shot hit him, but though the impact left him feeling winded, his shields held. One Weequay reached for an alarm button. Snap fired and missed, his aim awkward due to the injury on his arm, but Sev's shot took out the panel before the alarm could be triggered.

The Weequay jerked his hand back, and Boss put a shot in his leg to take him down.

"Okay," said Rex. "Get the second door open."

_"This one has a manual lock," _said Advisor. _"Four-Oh –"_

Fixer ran forward and plugged his scramble key in, the upgraded processor locating the correct code in seconds.

The door swung open. Rex stepped forward, and someone leaped out and slammed into him, knocking him flat.

Snap reached down and grabbed the assailant by one arm. "Boil! It's us, you bonehead!"

Four more troopers joined them as Boil scrambled to let Rex up. "Sorry, sir!"

Rex looked the clones over. "Namer, where are the others?"

"Four troopers and General Skywalker are in the west guard room, over there." He pointed. "Ghost and Det are injured, but the rest of us are fine, sir."

"Anything life-threatening?"

"Not immediately."

Rex nodded. "Snap, Waxer, Boil – get Ghost and Det to the _Predator_."

"Any further orders, Captain?" Waxer checked.

"You and Boil hold position at the control room. We'll send the other guys to meet you once we get them out."

"Yes, sir!"

With Snap leading the way, Waxer and Boil each took charge of one of the other two. The 501st trooper must have been hit in the head, because his eyes weren't focusing on anything, and he kept stumbling in place. The 212th trooper was alert enough, and even cast an interested look at Sev's sniper rifle, though his right arm was broken.

Rex led the others to the narrow corridor, and Kix gave Namer a questioning look as they followed.

The older trooper nodded reassuringly. "Everyone's still alive."

"No one's died yet?" Kix blinked in surprise. "But – how?"

"The generals," replied Namer, as though that were all the explanation needed.


	33. Chapter 33

Cody stumbled and caught himself against the wall – unintentionally, this time – and the guard grabbed his arm and pushed him forward. "Move it, the Count's waiting."

_Not a great incentive. _Cody kept moving, assessing his chances of success against his guard. The man didn't seem particularly bright, but he could move fast. More to the point, he was heavily armored, as well as being a couple inches taller and a good forty pounds heavier than Cody.

As Cody gripped the hidden knife's hilt, he visualized the moves he'd have to make to successfully take down the guard. If he failed, he'd lose the weapon, and therefore any chance he might have had against Dooku. If he succeeded . . . Count Dooku was waiting, and if Cody never showed up, Dooku would send men after him. Cody would _still _lose the weapon, and any chance he might have had.

He stumbled again, frowning inwardly. The third option was to kill or disable the guard, make his way to Dooku, and take him hostage.

"In here," the man ordered, gesturing to a staircase.

_And the fourth option is to wait until I'm brought to Dooku and then hope for the best. _Cody hesitated, decided that option four was the least desirable and the most viable, and edged past the guard, careful to keep the knife hidden beneath his forearm.

From somewhere down the hall, Cody heard a brief rustle of cloth against stone.

* * *

Anakin leaned against the guard room wall and poked his head cautiously around the edge of the doorway. Obi-Wan stood where the guards had told him to, directly in the center of the arena, as the last kath hound's corpse was dragged to another room near the animals' cage

"What's going on?" whispered Flash.

Anakin made a chopping motion with one hand and continued to look carefully around the expanse of sand-covered floor. Obi-Wan met his gaze and raised both eyebrows with a tiny shrug, as though to say, 'What am I supposed to do?'

Anakin shrugged back. _Not my problem, Master._

Obi-Wan blinked disdainfully.

Fives crawled up to the door, cast a quick look out, and jerked back as a stun round nearly hit him in the face. "Okay, that's not gonna work."

"General!" Echo's tone was low but excited as he pointed toward the prison room. "The other men are gone!"

"What?" Anakin whipped his head around and smacked his still-sore nose against Trap's shoulder as the clone moved forward to see. "Ow!"

"Sorry, sir." Trap didn't sound particularly sorry. "How do you think they got out?"

"And why hasn't Saresh noticed?" added Flash.

Anakin checked the balcony again. "It's the height he's at. He and Dooku can only see the front half the cell." He grinned. "Well, looks like Rex and other guys finally got here."

"Jedi Kenobi!"

At the sound of Saresh's voice, Anakin and Flash looked irritatedly at each other.

"I'm right here," Obi-Wan called back, because of course he couldn't just wait for the Twi'lek to finish his sentence. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"You will now combat the anakkona!" Saresh went on. "You cannot influence its mind this time, Kenobi. To win, you must kill it."

The gates opened to excited cheers, and Anakin rubbed at his temples. The sound of four thousand people screaming did _not_ help his headache, which was getting worse by the minute.

An enormous, blue-green snake slithered sideways into the arena, coiling and shifting. Its flat head swung back and forth, and it tested the air with a flickering forked tongue. Snapping jaws that were easily as large as Obi-Wan was tall, the anakkona glided toward him.

"We'll distract it, sir," said Trap, leaning forward.

"Not yet." Anakin kept his focus on the creature. "Obi-Wan can handle it for the moment. Wait for my signal."

* * *

Rex entered the empty eastern guard room, crossed to the door, and looked through the bars. General Kenobi stood in the center of the arena with his arms folded, apparently at ease.

The barred door didn't allow for a good view of the balcony, but Rex could just see Dooku and Ventress. He looked past Obi-Wan. Across from Rex and some twenty meters away was the second guard room.

"General Skywalker's there, all right," he told the others.

Fives appeared next to Anakin, nearly caught a stunbolt in the face, and ducked back again.

Rex shook his head. "We need a way to get them out without being seen, or this whole rescue goes to blazes."

Boss ambled over and scoped out the arena. "The only way to their position is across open ground. . . Unless you want to go the long way around and get to the other passage. Why can't they get to the passage on their own?"

Rex shook his head and used his visor to zoom in on the closed door behind General Skywalker. "The control panel's been shot out."

"Jedi Kenobi!" shouted Saresh.

"I'm right here," General Kenobi answered, looking up with a polite smile that was entirely out of place.

Saresh's voice rang out. "You will now combat the anakkona! You cannot influence its mind this time, Kenobi. To win, you must kill it."

Rex reset his visor and turned to Scorch. "Got any more breach charges?"

Scorch tossed him one.

"Get this door open," Rex ordered, over the cheering that followed the Twi'lek's announcement.

Fixer slipped past Boss and slashed his vibroblade through the bolt.

"Okay," Jesse remarked. "That's one way to do it."

The door swung open slightly, and Rex leaned forward, hoping that the stone overhang above him would be enough to shield him from the citizens' view. Fortunately, everyone's focus all seemed to be on the snake as it glided over the sand towards General Kenobi.

Rex held the door still with one hand and stared hard at the opposite guard room. _Come on, guys, look over here. _

He knew the moment Echo saw him because the younger trooper dove past Trap to notify the general that help had arrived. Anakin looked up, and Rex lifted the breach charge.

General Skywalker jumped to his feet and held out both hands. Rex threw the charge with all his strength. At the same instant, the snake lashed forward and Obi-Wan rolled aside.

A spray of sand hid the charge for an instant, but as Rex ducked back, he caught sight of it hovering towards the general. A second later, it was in Anakin's hand.

"Nice," muttered Sev. "Want me to take out the snake?"

"Not yet." Rex watched intently as, in the opposite room, Flash set the charge against the sealed door.

The anakkona snapped its jaws on a mouthful of sand as General Kenobi somersaulted away.

"Anyone see General Fisto yet?" asked Boss.

"That's a negative, squad leader," replied Fixer, who had taken position against the door. "Ventress and Saresh are – Wait. Someone else is coming in. Sir, it's Commander Cody!"

"What?" Rex peered up, but couldn't see the balcony's occupants.

Obi-Wan soared high into the air. The snake drew in on itself in a defensive coil, its head swerving to follow the Jedi Master. The crowd grew louder and angrier as the Jedi continued to evade the anakkona's strikes.

In the guard room, Flash jumped back from the locked entrance and the charge exploded, inaudible amidst the chaos.

"Okay, they're clear," reported Scorch. "Orders, sir?"

Boss watched the escaping clones run into the corridor. "General Skywalker's not leaving," he observed mildly.

"He never does." Rex tapped his comm. "Advisor, four troopers just left the western guard room."

_"They'll have to go all the way around to get to your position. I'll try to find a way to contact them."_

"Understood." Rex nearly jumped as Anakin skidded to a clumsy halt just outside the door. "General!"

"Hey, Rex, what took you so long?"

"Had to wait for backup." Rex gestured at the commandos. "Sir, that snake's getting closer."

Anakin tossed a casual glance over his shoulder. "Nah, it's chasing Obi-Wan. You guys have an escape plan?"

"General Fisto's causing a distraction," said Boss.

"Okay, great."

The anakkona lashed its tail against the ground beside Obi-Wan and knocked him sprawling. Rex shifted. "You – might want to turn around."

Anakin rubbed at his forehead with a sigh of impatience. Anyone who didn't know him would think that Anakin was ignorant of the danger, but the glint in his eyes told Rex that he not only knew of the danger, but was ready for it.

That bit of knowledge didn't make it any easier to remain motionless as the creature reared up behind his apparently unaware general.

"Harpoon it," ordered Boss.

Fixer stepped away from the door. Sev took his place as Scorch elbowed past Rex to join him.

The anakkona lunged, and Anakin spun on one heel and flung both hands forward. The snake jerked to an abrupt halt, snapping its spiny teeth shut inches from the Jedi's hands.

The instant it opened its mouth again, Sev fired his cable. As it left the gun, Scorch slashed his vibroblade through it. The metal grappling hook embedded itself in the back of the anakkona's throat, a few feet of cable trailing from its mouth.

The anakkona writhed away from the door, coiling and uncoiling so that sand flew in all directions.

Obi-Wan jumped back and raised his hands, focused on keeping the creature immobile. Anakin mirrored him on the opposite side.

_"Captain,"_ said Advisor. _"I've got your men on cameras. Waxer and Boil are on their way to meet them." _

"Good." Rex kept one pistol aimed at the snake's head. "Any word from General –"

General Fisto cut in. _"I'm in position, Captain, but could use some help. Getting Ventress and Dooku's attention without directly attacking is proving harder than I expected."_

Rex looked up at the balcony, where both Sith were once again in sight, then over at the commandos.

Boss assembled his squad with a quick hand signal and headed to the corridor. "General, Delta Squad is making its way to your position. We'll provide backup and support as necessary."

_"That would be appreciated."_ The general gave a wry laugh. _"Three Jedi, and our hands are tied."_

_"By the citizens,"_ noted Advisor. _"If they see us trying to rescue the prisoners, the riot could kill a lot of people – and probably us, as well."_

_"It would be simpler if they were droids,"_ muttered Sev.

_"Yeah!"_ Scorch added._ "We could use the ships to take out one side of the building, bury the enemy in rubble, and walk out." _

_ "Unfortunately, they are not droids."_ The general spoke firmly. _"We _must_ find another way. Taking Dooku or Ventress as a hostage is still our best option." _

Rex waited at the doorway, his gaze fixed on the two Jedi, who still held the anakkona at bay. It kept shaking its head as though trying to dislodge the thing in its throat, and its scales were turning a deeper blue. Rex didn't know a lot about anakkonas, but he'd be willing to bet that the color change meant it was getting angry.

Jesse drew closer to the door. "Can't we _do_ something?"

"The generals know we're here," Rex said. "When they're ready, they'll escape this way. We have to be ready to cover them."

Kix tossed Namer his rifle. "Here, take this. You're the better shot."

That wasn't strictly true – Kix was merely preparing to charge out and drag the Jedi to safety, should the need arise – but Rex let it slide. Kix was a medic, first, second, and last; and Namer _was_ far more experienced a trooper.

* * *

Cody stood at the back of the balcony, his right arm held in a firm grip by the muscular guard. He couldn't see much from his position, but he'd seen and heard enough over the past couple of minutes to know that the Jedi were in trouble.

The guard, still holding his arm, leaned eagerly against the railing to watch the fight. Cody used his distraction to secure the knife, slipping it halfway into his belt and pressing his forearm over it. When the guard didn't react, Cody shifted his hands, edging one of the cuffs against the knife's sharp point. He cast a quick glance around.

The crowd was angry, and getting angrier. Cody found that he couldn't exactly blame them. They'd paid to watch a bloody execution, and no one had died.

He jumped as the blade slipped and cut him. _Too fast. _Repositioning his hands, he tried again. This time, the knife-point slid into the tiny opening in the cuff, destroying the crystal that generated the light strands.

Grinning inwardly at his small victory, Cody held one forearm over the other. No use letting Dooku know he had an advantage.

Speaking of Dooku. . . Cody looked up. Dooku and his apprentice stood several feet away, at the front of the balcony. Behind Cody were three guards, and in front of him were Saresh and the two Sith.

The odds were too great. Cody switched tactics. If he couldn't use the knife, he'd get it to someone who could. Now, to get the knife over the balcony's edge without it being seen by anyone except General Kenobi. . .

He took a careful step to the right. Unfortunately, the guard chose that moment to pay attention. With a suspicious look, he tightened his grip around Cody's arm.

People surged to their feet all around, screaming and cursing at the anakkona. Saresh flicked off the microphone and turned to Dooku. "We must do something! Let me order the Jedi shot."

"No. Skywalker is not to be killed."

Saresh folded his arms. "Then why is he in the arena? If something doesn't change soon, the crowd will get out of hand."

"Patience." Dooku gave him a stern look. "Kenobi and Skywalker are strong in the Force, especially as a team."

Saresh fingered his pistol and glanced at the crowd. "I don't know what your game is, Count, but if you do not act, I will. These people are out for blood. They will not care if it is the Jedi's or yours or mine."

Ventress whirled on him. "Watch your tone, Twi'lek."

"He is correct, Ventress," Dooku mused, turning to glance at Cody.

_Oh, great. _

Dooku signaled to the guard. "Kenobi's focus is too strong. We need a distraction."

Cody tried to wrench free, to no avail, as he was pushed towards the railing.

"Master Kenobi." Saresh must have turned the microphone back on, because Dooku's calm voice rang through the arena, cutting through the anger and the shouting.

Cody felt the eyes of the entire arena turn to him. Keeping his forearm pressed over the knife's blade, he glanced down at the arena floor, ten meters below.

The arena was filled with a haze of drifting sand. The Jedi stared up at him, their hands still outstretched as the blue-scaled anakkona swayed indecisively between them. General Skywalker looked ready to collapse, but his eyes were as sharp as ever as he met Cody's gaze.

"You have done well," Dooku said to the Jedi. "Now, let us see if you can do better."

Cody jerked back. The guard grabbed his elbows, lifted him bodily, and threw him over the railing.


	34. Chapter 34

Anakin blinked sweat from his eyes, his vision greying as he Force-pushed the snake's head away for what felt like the thousandth time. Across from him, a much more alert Obi-Wan held a similar position.

_We can't do this forever – we have to find a way to kill it!_

The anakkona, confused and angry at its inability to reach its prey, coiled up again and wove from side to side. Its forked tongue slithered in and out in a rattling hiss.

"General Kenobi," said Dooku's voice.

Anakin glanced up at the balcony, squinting against the floating sand, and caught Cody's gaze. The commander stood beside Dooku, his grey uniform spotted with charred marks and streaks but his expression alert. _Come on, Cody, grab Dooku._

"You have done well." The count leaned forward, resting his hands on the balcony railing.

Anakin glanced over at Obi-Wan, who seemed as surprised at the admission as Anakin felt.

"Now, let us see if you can do better."

_Wait, what? _Anakin looked back in time to see the armored guard heave Cody over the edge.

Cody twisted in mid-air and flung a knife in Anakin's direction. Obi-Wan jumped forward and reached out a hand, slowing his commander's fall an instant before he hit the ground.

Anakin tried to summon the knife to his hand. His focus left the anakkona, and it shook off the invisible restraints that surrounded it. Anakin rolled aside, stumbled upright, and turned in time to see the snake's tail slam into Obi-Wan.

The Jedi Master hit the wall with a dull _thud _and fell limply to the ground behind Cody. With a dry rattle of scales, the anakkona slithered towards them, drawing back its head for another strike.

Cody was too busy coughing up a lungful of sand to notice, and Anakin could hardly stand erect. He stumbled toward the half-buried knife, the ringing in his ears nearly drowning out the crowd. _Master Fisto, now would be a really good time to step in!_

* * *

When the snake hit General Kenobi, Rex hit his comm. "Advisor, we need a distraction, stat!"

_"Hold your rations, Captain,"_ replied Advisor coolly. _"Anakkonas are sensitive to high sounds. It's almost ready."_

Jesse glared down at his comlink as though it could transfer his impatience to Advisor. "Well, the generals are ALMOST going to get eaten!"

The anakkona reared up over Obi-Wan. Anakin, moving drunkenly, stooped to pick something up.

Rex jerked the door open, ready to dash into the arena despite the consequences as Cody dragged Obi-Wan to his feet and looked up.

"General!" Cody shouted, just as Advisor said, _"Got it!"_

A sudden burst of shrieking feedback from the speaker system blasted through the arena. Rex winced reflexively. Anakin, Cody, and Obi-Wan staggered, covering their ears. The anakkona reeled, coiling in on itself and letting out a harsh croak of fury and discomfort. The feedback grew in intensity, drowning out everything else. The snake lashed out, slamming its head repeatedly against the wall beneath the balcony and churning the sand with its writhing coils.

General Skywalker braced himself and yelled something to Obi-Wan. The feedback cut off, and a ringing silence fell. Anakin, clenching a knife in both hands, ran at the wall and kicked off.

Obi-Wan reached up, using the Force to hurl Anakin high into the air. Rex's general neared the creature's head, brought the knife down with all his strength, and drove it straight through the anakkona's left eye.

Anakin dangled from the knife for a moment, then fell, landing badly and crumpling.

"We've got to get them out," Kix said tensely.

_"No!"_ General Fisto's voice was sharp. _"Wait!" _

The anakkona jerked spasmodically and drew in on itself in a tight coil, then let out a screech. Obi-Wan and Cody hauled Anakin up, away from the thrashing snake, and stumbled for the guard room.

Jesse let out a tense breath. "I _hate _this mission."

Rex, adrenaline jolting through his system as he watched the Jedi and the commander stumbling towards him, found himself agreeing. The mission had failed, he and his men had been sidelined a lot of the time, and he wasn't sure yet that there'd be an end that _didn't _involve dying.

* * *

Scorch crept up to the edge of the corridor, then ducked back. "Balcony entrance is closed. Two guards."

Kit Fisto clipped his lightsaber to his belt. "Let's take them alive."

Boss had noticed that the Jedi were careful about preserving the lives of their enemies – careful almost to the point of foolishness. It wasn't as though these particular Rattatakians were innocent the way civilians usually were. They wanted the Jedi and clones dead, or they wouldn't have been in the arena in the first place.

Thirty-Eight didn't particularly _want_ to harm them, but General Fisto was repeatedly risking the lives of those he was trying to rescue on the off chance that the civilians might riot and trample each other. It would be easy enough to get into the balcony and attack Dooku . . .

Still, there was nothing to be gained by killing these guards.

Boss stepped into the corridor, and the guards swung their weapons up. General Fisto sprang forward, using the Force to pull the two surprised men toward him. Scorch and Sev stepped out of cover, knocked them unconscious, and dumped them to either side.

Boss took the ammo clips from their guns and performed a quick check for hidden weapons. Unconscious enemies would revive. Injured enemies could still function. Leaving an enemy functional meant you risked getting shot in the back later.

The Republic soldiers weren't monsters. Time and time again, Boss had ordered opponents left alive when he could be sure they weren't a threat. But miscalculating threat assessment carried its own risks. Only last week, his error had nearly cost Scorch his life and the Republic the mission.

Boss supposed it was just as well that most of the time, he and his commandos didn't have to worry about making the choice. Those that tried to kill them usually ended up dead before they were ever in a position to be spared. "Are we taking the balcony, General?"

"Yes." General Fisto paused just outside the door, bowing his head for a long moment, then looked at Boss with a glint in his eyes. "I'll keep Dooku busy."

As the general ran back a short distance, Boss led his squad mates back into the small side corridor that led to the western guard room. They hid behind the first fork in the passage, and Boss and Fixer peered out from either side.

The balcony door hissed open, then shut.

"Count!" Kit Fisto called, sounding pleased. "I have been waiting for some time for you to recognize my presence."

"Master Fisto." The Count's voice was deep and calm. "You must forgive my tardiness. I have been attending to important matters. Now, though, I would be happy to oblige your wish for an early death."

General Fisto laughed. "Feeling generous, Count?"

Fixer looked questioningly over at Boss, who shrugged. For all he knew, Jedi and Sith had some sort of long-standing tradition that involved taunting each other before battle.

A reddish glow lit one side of the corridor as the count activated his lightsaber. "Grievous killed your padawan, and yet, despite my making it easy for him to kill you, he failed. I assure you, I will not."

Kit Fisto's lightsaber set a green glow against the red. Somewhat to Boss' surprise, the general's voice was cheerful when he answered. "You should have expected Grievous to fail. You must understand, Dooku, it is not the Jedi way to send others to kill one's enemies."

Thirty-Eight might not know much about the Jedi and their Code, but he was almost certain that Kit Fisto had just made up that last remark. Or, at the least, heavily misquoted something.

Count Dooku's icy silence seemed to confirm his suspicions. The Sith ran past the tunnel entrance, his cloak swinging out behind him. The rapid buzzing and clashing of lightsabers filled the hall.

Scorch shifted, impatient to move, and Boss held up his left hand.

He locked his helmet's range-finder on the general's comlink signal as the sound of the duel drew farther away. The instant Fisto rounded the corner, Boss jumped to his feet. "Okay, squad, let's get in there and start breaking things."

Moving in single file, they ran for the balcony entrance. As they approached, the door opened. Boss smashed his vibroblade through the panel, locking it in position.

Immediately, he ducked back. There was a short conversation in Huttese, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Boss reached out, grabbed a surprised human by the collar, and hauled him out of sight of the balcony. Sev clubbed him over the head with his pistol.

Boss dropped him to one side. "Scorch. Lead them on."

"My pleasure, sir!" Scorch stood in the entrance until a shout told him he'd been seen. He turned and ran.

Two guards rushed out, skidding as they realized there were three armored commandos waiting for them, but it was already too late. Boss kept an eye on the balcony entrance, Sev used a stun shot on one man, and Fixer hit the other in the chin, snapping his head back into the wall.

"Ouch," Scorch remarked as he retrieved the men's weapons and threw them down the hall. "Fixer, you gotta start pulling your punches."

Advisor spoke. _"Delta Lead, I've got a visual on Ventress. Looks like she's receiving a transmission – wait."_

"Good," said Sev. "Let's get her while she's distracted."

"Hold it, Oh-Seven," Boss said. "Advisor?"

_ "She just jumped off the balcony."_

Thirty-Eight ran through the door. An armored man lunged at him, a knife in each hand, and Boss turned slightly, allowing one blade to skid over his left pauldron as he caught the man's wrist in an armlock. Sev walked past, putting a couple stun rounds in the guard, then switched his pistol out for his rifle.

Boss checked for other hostiles, but Tar Saresh was the only person remaining on the balcony. The orange Twi'lek leaned back, casually resting an elbow on the railing and clasping one hand around the other wrist. He gave Boss a friendly smile. "You win, commando. And . . . you lose."

Something beeped faintly.

A thrill of alarm rushed through Boss, who turned to warn his squad back just as a series of rapid explosions rocked the balcony. Boss lost his footing and fell sideways into Sev.

"He's taking out the supports!" yelled Scorch, reaching towards Boss from the doorway as Fixer jerked him back. "Fixer –!"

The entire structure collapsed.

* * *

Obi-Wan and Cody ran, half-carrying Anakin as the anakkona thrashed behind them, its death-cries piercing the air.

They were nearly at the guard room when a shadow of encroaching danger rose in Obi-Wan's mind. He shoved Anakin at Cody. "Run!"

The transfer of weight knocked Cody off-balance, but Obi-Wan couldn't help. He was too focused on keeping the collapsing anakkona from crushing all three of them.

"Rex –" Cody gritted out.

Rex was already there. He and Jesse grabbed Anakin and dragged him to the guard room.

Obi-Wan turned back towards the arena, clenching his hands. A few more seconds, a few more . . . Someone clutched at Obi-Wan's shoulders and pulled him away. His focus wavered. The anakkona's head was mere inches above Obi-Wan's. He twisted free of the restraining hands. "Hurry!"

He could only hold his stance a moment more, and then –

Someone growled in exasperation. Two people caught his arms and jerked him backwards into the guard room as the anakkona's head thudded into the sand, its golden eyes dimming.

Obi-Wan fell to his knees, breathing heavily, and cast a quick glance to either side. On his right, Namer watched him with concern; on his left, Cody gave him a judgmental look, complete with the slightly lifted eyebrow that meant he had absolutely _had_ it with everything. And, quite possibly, every_one _as well.

To be fair, it had been a long day. . .

"Hello, Cody," said Obi-Wan with a smile. "Fancy seeing you here."

Cody stared at him in what appeared to be utter disbelief and turned to Rex as though appealing to him for help.

Rex dumped Anakin on Jesse and Kix. "Get him to the ship." He lifted his comlink. "General, we've got them."

"I'm right here, Captain," Obi-Wan reminded him, getting to his feet.

"No, sir, he means General Fisto," explained Namer. He removed the comlink from his armor and handed it to Obi-Wan, who nodded his thanks before attaching it to his own vambrace.

_"Captain," _said an unfamiliar clone's voice. _"Ventress just jumped off the balcony. She's headed your way with some guards."_

Obi-Wan looked at the anakkona's blue-green head. Its tongue flickered sluggishly one last time as it died. And then, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Obi-Wan and the clones started running.

"Advisor, did the others get out?" Rex demanded.

_"Yes, Captain. They're at Saresh's house now."_

Obi-Wan stumbled, caught himself against the wall, and sped up, matching Cody step for step. The dead anakkona was blocking the guard room entrance, but that wouldn't slow Ventress for long. . .

_ "Permission to speak freely, sir,"_ Boil drawled through the comm.

"Granted," Obi-Wan answered just as Cody snapped, "Denied."

After a few seconds of silence, Boil followed protocol and obeyed the higher authority. _"If we never come here again, it'll be too soon for me."_

Obi-Wan mentally agreed, and then promptly entertained second thoughts. As a Jedi, he should not have felt the deep dislike of Rattatak that he currently felt. The planet itself had done nothing to him, after all. Perhaps a long session of meditation would be in order, if ever he got back to the _Negotiator. _

Cody had no such concerns. "Boil! Stow the chatter and set up a defense. We've got Ventress and several men after us."

Obi-Wan called on the Force again to increase his speed. He was exhausted, his lightsaber was gone, and Anakin had used his last reserves to kill the anakkona. Some of the clones were still battle-ready, but if Kit didn't get here soon, none of them would be getting out of here alive.


	35. Chapter 35

Dooku advanced, and Kit Fisto gave way before him. Where Grievous lashed out with blinding speed and absolutely no finesse, Dooku was far more deliberate. His flowing style and the curved hilt of his saber allowed him to change directions with ease, transitioning one blow smoothly into the next. Back when he was still a Jedi, Dooku had been accounted the best duelist in the Order, apart from Yoda.

Now, Kit Fisto held that position, but Dooku had not become less capable after leaving the Order – quite the opposite, in fact. Kit stepped back, caught his balance, and began a quick series of blows that put Dooku on the defensive.

Kit hadn't heard from Delta Squad since Scorch's alarmed yell, but if Ventress had gone after Obi-Wan, the commandos had a fair chance of extricating themselves. At least, he hoped they did, because he would be unable to go to their aid.

As a Nautolan, Kit could sense emotions without having to use the Force. This ability was less powerful when he was not underwater, but there was no mistaking the crackling animosity that emanated from the citizens inside the Cauldron.

Kit ducked Dooku's blade, noticing that the Sith Lord still carried Anakin's lightsaber on his belt, and lifted his wrist. "Advisor, get everyone together. We must leave!"

_"Yes, General."_ The tactical coordinator sounded stressed.

Dooku spun his lightsaber in a dizzying series of arcs, up, down, up, across – Kit Fisto blocked the sudden blow half a second before it would have cut off his arm. Dooku leaned his weight forward. Kit took a step back and twisted his own blade around Dooku's until the edge was dangerously near the Sith's right side.

As if acting on a signal, they sprang apart, circled, and lunged. Kit brought his blade up in a quick parry, struck twice, and then stepped back to block an overhanded blow. Pivoting beneath their crossed blades, Kit summoned Anakin's lightsaber to his left hand, then leaped back to avoid Dooku's humming red blade as it slashed at his neck.

"Surrender, Count," he demanded, igniting Anakin's saber.

Dooku gazed at him, his coal-bright eyes mocking. "You Jedi always demand surrender. You lack the resolve to finish what you start."

"Perhaps." Kit Fisto held the lightsabers to either side. "And perhaps I am merely not eager to kill as the Sith are."

"At least the Sith are not hypocrites." Dooku flipped over Kit's head and came down behind him.

Kit Fisto swung to face him, his comm blinking. _"General Fisto!" _Rex shouted. _"We could really use your help, sir!"_

"On my way, Captain." Only after replying did he bother to wonder what kind of trouble they were in this time.

The Sith lord smiled, well aware that he was blocking the Jedi's escape route. "Leaving so soon, Master Fisto? You disappoint me."

* * *

Captain Rex rushed through the control room behind Namer and General Kenobi. In front of them, Anakin had recovered consciousness – Rex knew because he was mumbling protests against Kix's and Jesse's hold on him.

Cody slowed and fell back to Rex's position, and Rex tilted his head at Cody's uniform, which was covered in blackened marks and streaks. "Let me guess, Commander – you didn't talk nicely to the count."

Cody laughed, breaking off with a pained grimace.

"Ventress is gaining on us," Obi-Wan warned.

Without breaking his stride, Rex drew his second pistol and tossed it to Cody, who caught it one-handed.

"Captain?" Namer, as always, was aware of Rex's plans before Rex said anything.

Rex stopped and turned back. "You, Kix and Jesse – protect the generals. We'll deal with Ventress."

Obi-Wan skidded to a less-than-graceful halt. "I'm staying," he said, in the pleasant tone of voice that meant he was ready to go through hell and high water to get his way.

Anakin mumbled something unintelligible, and Kix jostled him roughly. "Quiet, General. We're getting _you_ to the shuttle."

They disappeared around the corner.

General Kenobi engaged in a staring match with Cody. Rex glanced back down the hall. Ventress was getting closer, and Obi-wan didn't have a lightsaber. Actually, Rex wasn't sure how the Jedi intended to help. He lifted his comm. "General Fisto! We could really use your help, sir!"

The answer came immediately. _"On my way, Captain."_

Namer, apparently unconcerned by his disagreeing superiors, was holding position General Kenobi, Of course, Namer had been privy to a few of Anakin and Ahsoka's louder arguments, so a little dispute between a commander and a high general probably didn't seem like that big of a deal.

A few seconds of interminable silence later, Cody said, "You're unarmed, General. Stay behind us."

Obi-Wan looked politely appalled, but before he could open his mouth to reply, Rex turned away, Cody beside him. Even General Kenobi's famed skills for diplomacy were worthless when the opposing party refused to negotiate.

"You take high, I'll take low," Cody ordered.

"Got it." Rex stood to one side of the door while Cody knelt at the other. Two vectors of attack at two different heights.

_And Ventress has two lightsabers. _

They'd never kill her, but maybe they could keep her busy long enough for General Fisto to get here.

* * *

Delta Thirty-Eight was vaguely aware of a floating sensation, but it quickly turned into a crushing weight. His head was turned awkwardly to one side, and he couldn't move or see. He could only hear – a roaring sound which reminded him of the crashing ocean waves of Kamino.

Eventually, he recognized the sound as bursts of static, and his mind made the connection that his helmet's audio processors were being overwhelmed. Boss moved automatically, trying to reach his helmet to shut off the sound, but he couldn't. He tested his other arm, then each leg, then his head. Unsuccessful.

For an awful instant, as he remembered falling, the thought that he'd been paralyzed entered his mind. His fingers clenched reflexively, and the movement, slight as it was, let his mind catch up with his imagination.

He'd been on the balcony, which meant he was probably buried beneath part of it right now . . . He realized that he was not lying on his face, as he'd originally thought, but on his back.

Boss took a slow breath. The weight on his chest did not prevent him from breathing, though it made it difficult. "Deltas, report! Can any of you hear me?"

"Right here, Thirty-Eight!" Scorch answered from close by. His voice forced Boss' helmet processors to reset, and the roaring noise cut off. Boss winced in relief just as Scorch added, "We're kind of in trouble."

Fixer cut in, his voice unusually taut. "He's got half the balcony on him. He knows we're in trouble."

Boss ignored their bickering. "Where's Sev?"

"Right next to you, sir," answered the sniper's low voice.

"What's your status?"

"Also trapped, but I can see the arena. Looks like the prisoners got out. We've got a few unfriendlies headed our way, but the citizens seem to be staying put. For now."

Boss considered. "Fixer, Scorch, can you get us out?"

"Working as fast as we can," said Fixer. "Oh-Seven's almost clear."

"Yeah." Scorch spoke breathlessly. "Stupid balcony – got it!"

Boss tensed as weight shifted from his legs to his chest, but his armor held up under the pressure. "Anyone see Saresh?"

"I'm looking at him right now," said Sev. "He's with the guys coming toward us."

"What?" Boss twisted slightly in an attempt to free his left hand, and something dug painfully into his lower back. "_How'd_ that Twi'lek survive?"

"Wish I could tell you, sir." Sev also sounded irked.

_"Delta Lead, are you there?"_ demanded Advisor's voice, cutting sharply through the faint static. _"Come in, Thirty-Eight!"_

"Right here, Advisor." Boss wished Advisor would lower his voice a bit – he currently had the worst headache he'd had since . . . well, probably since the time Delta Squad had crashed an escape pod on Bakura. _That mission was a disaster. _He took another breath. "We're alive."

"Not for long, if we don't get out of here," Scorch sing-songed.

"I'm out, sir," reported Sev, and the weight shifted again, to the right this time. "Scorch, give me your rifle."

"Aw, come on. Now I only have a pistol."

Sev ignored him. "One moment, sir. Just give me a second to get this – Fixer! Look out behind you!"

"Get Three-Eight out!" yelled Fixer. Rapid blasterfire sounded, and Boss jerked reflexively, reaching for his own weapon. His pistol was gone, but, now that he thought about it, the pressure at his waist probably meant he was lying on top of his rifle. Well, at least he hadn't lost both weapons.

"Okay, this is a problem," Scorch said in exasperation, which did nothing to inform Boss of the situation. "Sev! Get clear!"

When Sev obeyed with a short, "Got it!" Thirty-Eight's internal sense of danger ratcheted up another fifteen notches or so. "Scorch. What are you doing?"

"Getting you out, sir. We're out of time. Setting breach charge."

_Oh, he is NOT. _

Fixer and Advisor both shouted, _"Six-Two, no!" _

Simultaneously having his suspicions confirmed and his headache intensified was not something Boss particularly appreciated.

Then an explosion rattled through the pile. The weight on his legs increased, but it was suddenly easier to breathe.

"We've got you, sir!" Scorch called.

The pressure around his head and shoulders vanished, and Boss blinked against the sudden surge of light. Sev and Scorch grabbed his arms. A moment later, Boss was kneeling in the sand, one hand braced against the ground as the arena tilted dizzyingly.

He stumbled to his feet. He could barely move his right arm, but whether that was from cut circulation or some more serious injury, he couldn't tell. Boss grabbed his rifle with his left hand and balanced it clumsily in the crook of his arm, his muscles refusing to work properly.

"Here." Scorch took the rifle and shoved his own pistol at Boss. "I'm not as good with this, anyway."

Thirty-Eight accepted the pistol and cast a glance past Scorch. The anakkona's corpse lay across half the arena, its scaled body coiled in loops with its head near the eastern guard room door. _That's our escape route. _

Behind Boss, Fixer was firing his weapon in short, staccato bursts, which meant he was nearly out of ammo.

Boss gestured. "Sev, Scorch, clear a path. We're leaving."

"Yes, sir!" Scorch turned to obey. Sev was already on one knee, firing with his trademark, calculating precision.

Taking a final, steadying breath, Boss spun on his heel, firing as he ended his turn. The mercenaries' armor looked primitive, but it blocked lasers fairly well. Boss adjusted his aim and shot the nearest man through the forehead.

Four-Oh's gun clicked on an empty clip. He tossed it aside, flicked his vibroblade free of his gauntlet, and locked it in position. As Fixer closed with the nearest merc, Boss joined him at a run, firing over his shoulder to take down oncoming enemies.

The last man went down with a knife to the throat just as Thirty-Eight's pistol lost its charge. Screams and cheers rang out all around them, and Boss turned again, standing beside Fixer.

Tar Saresh was running towards them, a huge Zabrak on his heels.

_"That's Viscus Gaan," _Advisor warned off-handedly, sounding as though he were merely commenting on their situation in between ordering around other teams.

Come to think of it, he probably was.

Delta Thirty-Eight fired repeatedly, but his shots at both Gaan and Saresh were blocked by flickers of red that appeared when his lasers neared them. The enemy had personal shields. _This'll be a challenge. . . _

Saresh and Gann stopped, sizing up their opponents for an instant, then advanced slowly.

Boss holstered his pistol and dropped into a wrestling stance, bracing his right arm against his side. As a race, Zabraks had about twice the strength and stamina that humans did; Viscus Gaan probably had even more. He certainly had a good six inches on Boss.

Not only that, but Gaan been trained to kill quickly and efficiently, and he enjoyed doing it. It showed in the savage set of his mouth and the way he was eyeing Boss – to him, Boss was not an opponent, but prey.

Thirty-Eight raised an eyebrow. _Let's change that. _He straightened and took a threatening step forward.

Viscus Gaan's yellow-orange eyes gleamed in response.

Saresh spoke, and Gaan charged.

Thirty-Eight ducked the first powerful blow. The second, which he caught on his left forearm, forced him back a step. Fixer leaped in front of him, slamming into the Zabrak from the side and throwing him off-balance.

The three of them circled, reversing positions. Boss split off from Fixer, flanking Gaan. As he moved in, a flicker of orange to his left caught his attention. He swung around in time to see Saresh draw a vibroblade and plunge it toward Fixer's back.

Boss struck Saresh's wrist hard, knocking his blow wide. Saresh recovered and slashed at him. Boss sidestepped, brought his left hand down across the Twi'lek's arm, and pivoted on his heel, jamming his left elbow inside Saresh's right to immobilize his weapon arm.

Saresh was already reaching across – too late, Boss remembered the small control panel the Twi'lek had in his vambrace. The commando's shield crackled under a sudden onslaught of energy, but his injured arm was barely responsive – he didn't dare release Saresh's weapon hand.

Gritting his teeth against the pulsing current that seared through his shields and shorted out his helmet sensors, Boss forced the Twi'lek to the ground, knelt on his forearm, and stabbed his own blade through the control panel.

The current left him gasping. He twisted Saresh's wrist hard until he dropped the vibroblade. As Boss struggled to reach the fallen weapon, the Twi'lek twisted onto his stomach, grabbed the knife with his free hand, and slashed it across the inside of Thirty-Eight's left forearm.

Boss jerked, nearly falling across Saresh's back before he caught his balance. He broke away and got to one knee.

Saresh mirrored him, tense and ready to attack.

They lunged to their feet at the same time, but Boss was faster. He caught the back of Saresh's head and slammed his knee into the Twi'lek's face, breaking his nose. As Saresh fell, Boss wrenched the blade from his weakened grasp.

A shot sounded behind him. A red laser flashed past his helmet, and Boss turned to fling the vibroblade at the new threat. The Weequay got off one more shot before the blade buried itself in his leg and he toppled over with a scream.

Boss spared him a dispassionate glance. _You're lucky my aim was off. I was going for your head._

He drew his pistol left-handed, wincing at the burning pain in his forearm as he located his squad mates. Fixer and Gaan had stepped away from each other and were circling slowly. Gaan favored his right arm, and the faint red glow of his personal shield had vanished. Fixer hunched over some injury to his side or ribs, faced him at a slight angle. Some distance behind them, Sev and Scorch kept their focus on the crowd, their weapons tracking from one side to the other.

The path to the guard room was clear. _If we don't get out now, we never will._

"Fixer!" Boss shouted, aiming over the corporal's shoulder. His hand wavered alarmingly. "I need a clear shot!"

Gaan glanced at him, startling intelligence in his gleaming eyes, and then behind him to Saresh. Boss held his ground. He'd have to gamble that the Twi'lek didn't have another weapon – and that Gaan wouldn't know when Four-Oh was about to move.

Fixer shifted his weight, and Boss tightened his finger on the trigger just as the other commando leaped to the side.

Gaan anticipated him. Thirty-Eight's aim was dead on, but the Zabrak moved at the last possible instant, and the shot barely grazed his shoulder. Before Fixer could recover his balance, Gaan landed a flying kick against his injured side, then pressed the attack, keeping Fixer between himself and Thirty-Eight. Fixer staggered back, only just managing to block Gaan's more dangerous blows.

A footstep crunched in the sand behind Boss. He twisted and shot before he'd consciously registered the threat. Tar Saresh stiffened, folded over himself, and crumpled in the sand, a knife falling from his hand.

_Hm, he did have a second weapon. _Boss kicked it out of range, just in case Saresh was still alive.

"Boss, we've gotta evac!" yelled Scorch, sounding almost panicked.

"Crowd's getting dangerous, sir," added Sev. He sent a warning shot into the wall beneath the first row of spectators, and everyone seemed to hesitate for an instant.

Thirty-Eight turned back to the second fight, but his arm spasmed painfully and he dropped the pistol. As he fumbled at it, Viscus Gaan broke through Fixer's guard and kicked him in the chest, knocking him flat. With an animalistic roar, Gaan leaped onto him, closing huge hands around the struggling commando's throat.

Thirty-Eight forgot about the pistol and charged at Gaan. "Sev!"

"Got you covered, sir."

Boss flung himself against the Zabrak and sent both of them tumbling over Fixer and across the sand. Boss had just gotten to his knees when Gaan landed a hard punch against his helmet, cracking his visor with the force of the blow.

Thirty-Eight threw him back and staggered to his feet. His vision split and throbbed, and he coughed as blood ran into his throat.

The Zabrak grabbed Saresh's knife from the ground and towered over Boss, arm drawn back for a blow.

A single shot rang out.

Viscus Gaan, his expression almost confused, stared straight at Boss for a long second. Then he blinked, stepped forward, and collapsed.

Thirty-Eight dropped to his hands and knees for an instant before struggling upright once more. Then Scorch was beside him, all but dragging him forward to where Sev prowled in front of the guard room door. Fixer, coughing and gagging reflexively every few seconds, joined them last.

They entered the corridor at a stumbling run. Scorch stopped to plant the last of his explosives, and Boss thumbed the detonator. The roof of the entrance collapsed on itself with a rumbling of stone and dust.

Boss blinked at the wreckage through blurred vision. "Good work, Deltas," he said hoarsely as Fixer choked again.

Sev eyed the two of them, reloaded his rifle, and moved forward to take point.

Scorch glanced between Boss and Fixer, sighed loudly, hooked his weapon to his belt, and folded his arms. "Boss. Thirty-Eight? Hey, Boss, are you there? Do you _want _to stand around until we get killed?"

Boss took another breath, glanced at the long corridor ahead, and was about to follow Sev when Scorch continued.

"Fixer? Mission's not over yet. Come on, don't tell me you're going to let a little lack of oxygen get to you. Mission's first, remember? You always say –"

"_Can_ _it_, Six-Two," Fixer managed, putting one hand against the wall to steady himself.

Scorch's grin was audible in his voice. "Yeah, exactly."

Boss wondered when, exactly, Scorch had decided that annoying his commanding officers into action was a good idea. With a faint sense of amusement, he gestured at the corridor. "Let's get out of here, Deltas."

As Scorch passed by, Boss elbowed him; Scorch, without changing his posture at all, somehow managed to look pleased with himself.


	36. Chapter 36

Rex stood at one side of the door while Cody knelt at the other. General Kenobi and Namer had positioned themselves a few meters back. The four of them had been waiting in tense silence for nearly a minute now. Rex cautiously leaned out of cover and checked the hallway again.

Still empty. He was sure Ventress hadn't been _that_ far behind them.

Advisor's voice came through the comms again. _"General Kenobi, I'm moving some of the men to the _Twilight_ in case of another attack."_

"An excellent idea," replied Obi-Wan. "Transfer the injured first."

_"Roger that, General. Kix and Jesse are already on it."_

"Where's Anakin?"

_"He's waiting for you and the others."_

Rex could almost hear General Kenobi wondering if he should order Anakin to board the _Predator_. Apparently, he decided it would be a waste of time, because all he said was, "I see. Carry on."

Silence fell again.

Rex glanced from a worriedly frowning Cody to the hallway. It didn't take an experienced trooper to know that something was wrong, and both Rex and Cody were highly experienced troopers, each of whom had dealt with Ventress more than once. And the more they dealt with her, the more wary they grew.

The first Rex had ever heard of Ventress was at the beginning of the war. Obi-Wan and Cody had shown up late to a previously scheduled briefing – the general with broken ribs, and Cody with twenty-six stitches in his forehead and cheek because the front of helmet had been crushed into his face. Apparently, they'd seen Ventress sneaking around the ship and gone to confront her, and she'd promptly thrown them both into the wall.

The situation wasn't funny, but Cody and General Kenobi had been so disgruntled by their inglorious defeat that Rex and Anakin hadn't been able to resist the occasional smirk or snide comment.

Of course, the first time Rex had _seen _Ventress, she'd thrown him into a wall and then tried to control his mind with the Force. _Cody was a bit too amused when I wrote up _that _report. _

Cody shifted. "This feels like Tibrin," he said, for the second time.

"Yes," said General Kenobi irritatedly. "She's waiting for something."

Rex didn't particularly want to be reminded of Tibrin. That battle had been a disaster. Ventress and the Ishi Tib generals had staged a trap for the Republic. General Luminara's invasion force had received only token resistance for the first several hours. But, as she and her troopers neared the capital, the enemy had launched a massive attack from the shallow seas that surrounded them. By the time Commander Gree had gotten a signal through for reinforcements, the 41st had been decimated.

The 501st and 212th had rushed to cover Luminara's retreat, and then pushed toward the capital. Several days of sustained fighting later, the Republic, at the order of Chancellor Palpatine, had withdrawn, leaving hundreds of dead behind with nothing to show for it.

No new Republic forces had been sent to provide cover for the retreating troopers, so they were forced to fight their way back over the ground they'd just gained. Pulling back to the exfiltration point took hours, and the attacks worsened as they retreated.

Ventress hounded them the entire way, engaging one or the other of the Jedi, springing sudden attacks on lone squads, killing scouts. . . Cody and Rex had spent several hours playing bait so that the Jedi could try to stop her.

Rex let out a slow breath_. That was a nightmare. We never knew where she'd show up next . . . just like now. _

He leaned out of cover to observe the hallway, but once again, there was nothing. Across the doorway, Cody glanced at him. Rex shook his head, and Cody switched the pistol to his left hand. "General? How close is she?"

Obi-Wan answered distantly. "I – can't tell."

Rex grimaced. _All due respect, General Fisto, but hurry it up._

* * *

Kit Fisto sprinted to the end of the hallway and leaped into the air, twisting sharply to face a side corridor as he slashed his lightsaber through two ceiling supports. He landed, ran forward a few paces, spun again, and reached out. Calling on the Force, he dragged the supports sideways.

The pillars crashed to the ground, piling halfway up the corridor, and chunks of the ceiling followed. The debris blocked Dooku's path forward, though the red glow of his lightsaber was still faintly visible through the clouds of dust.

Kit cloaked himself in the Force and rushed down the hall again. He knew that the commandos were alive, but he couldn't take the time to locate them, not with Ventress closing in on Obi-Wan and the others.

He paused to take out a couple more supports, then cut through the hinges of the heavy wooden door just ahead. Deactivating his weapon, he lifted the door and flung it back against the newest blockade of stone.

It wouldn't stop Dooku, but it would definitely slow him. Kit Fisto ran through the control room and into the maze of hallways beyond. "Sergeant, come in," he ordered.

There was no response.

"Advisor, are you there?"

_"General Fisto, what's your location?" _replied Advisor. _"Delta Squad is on its way back to the extraction point."_

"Excellent." Kit ducked into the next corridor, checked that it was empty, and continued running. "Where's Anakin?"

_"He's in Saresh's house, sir."_

Kit reached the main hallway and paused briefly. Turning left would bring him to the shuttle, turning right would bring him to Obi-Wan. He turned left. "I imagine Anakin will need his lightsaber. Dooku won't let us go that easily. Get everyone you can onto the shuttles, quickly!"

_"Already done, sir."_

He reached the stairs leading up to Saresh's house just as Anakin stumbled down towards him.

"Anakin, catch!" Kit threw the lightsaber. "Dooku is close behind!"

Anakin caught the weapon, his blue eyes angry and intent. "Let me handle Dooku, Master."

_'Let me go after Grievous myself, Master. . .'_

Kit Fisto turned to face him fully, the memory making his words sharp. "Do not overestimate your abilities, Anakin!"

Anakin's mind seemed to return to the present. He gave Kit a half-surprised look, then a careful nod.

Kit Fisto left, speaking over his shoulder, "Be ready. I'll bring the others as quickly as possible."

* * *

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, attempting to locate Ventress in the Force. She'd shielded herself again, which meant that she was trying to sneak up on them. . . but from which direction? "Rex, can Ventress get around us?"

"Not as far as I know," the captain replied. "Advisor?"

_"Not from the corridor you're in. She'd have to go back past the Deltas' current position and through Saresh's house. General Skywalker's waiting there. General Fisto's on his way, and Delta Squad is nearing your position."_

Obi-Wan nodded, forgetting that Advisor couldn't see him. It was beginning to sound as though they might have a chance of escaping this wretched planet after all.

Cody glanced over his shoulder at Obi-Wan. "If she intends to attack she'll have to do it –"

He stopped, eyes flicking back and forth in confusion for an instant before he and Rex lowered their weapons, then dropped them.

"General!" said Namer urgently. "They did that when the Nightsister attacked!"

Obi-Wan flung his hands outward in a Force-push that sent Rex and Cody to either side of the hallway as Ventress leaped in, her sabers slicing through the air where the clones had been an instant before.

Ignoring them, she lunged at Obi-Wan. He ducked and caught her wrists in an attempt to keep her blades away from his face. Namer moved to the side and fired twice. She twisted to block the shots, backflipped away, and violently flung Obi-Wan back.

Obi-Wan's head cracked against the wall, and he fell to his hands and knees. He thought he'd been dizzy before, but now he could scarcely see straight. Two wavering, glowing red lines drew near. He stood up and edged slowly toward the center of the room, feeling his way with one arm as he blinked desperately to clear his vision.

"Die, Jedi," Ventress hissed in his ear.

One beam of red light lifted, aimed at his heart. He raised his hands, but an invisible grip closed around him. The lightsaber descended.

Someone slammed into him from the front, grabbed him around the shoulders, and tackled him to the ground.

Ventress let out a high-pitched shriek of anger, and the tip of her lightsaber burned against Obi-Wan's collarbone.

Someone gasped, but it wasn't Obi-Wan.

_"Ventress!"_ snapped an accented voice, accompanied by the sound of an igniting lightsaber.

Obi-Wan's vision was still off, and he struggled to get up. It took two unsuccessful tries before he finally realized that someone lay across him, pinning him to the ground.

* * *

Anakin, clenching his lightsaber hilt in one hand, stood at the base of the stairs that led up to Saresh's house. Trap, Flash, Kix and Jesse clattered quietly down to join him, holding blasters that they'd gotten from the other clones.

Their guns would do nothing against the Sith Lord.

"You guys get back to the ship," Anakin ordered, then winced at how weak his voice sounded. He cleared his throat. "Go on, I'll wait here."

"All due respect, General," said Kix, in a not-particularly-respectful tone. "You're in no shape to fight Dooku on your own."

"That's not for you to decide," he snarked back unprofessionally. He knew Kix was right – his strength was all but gone. Using the Force as consistently as he had today wouldn't normally exhaust him, but whatever that Nightsister had done had made him weak. He'd been struggling to perform feats that were normally effortless.

But there was something Kix didn't know. It was easier to use the Force when feeling a strong emotion. Anakin had won against impossible odds before because of this. It might not be the Jedi way to fight enemies in anger, but it _worked. _

_It's a good thing Obi-Wan's not here, _he thought darkly.

Kix said nothing, though his disapproval of Anakin's decision to stay was evident in his eyes. Anakin swung his lightsaber impatiently and paced back and forth. As far as he was concerned, as long as the medic didn't try to physically drag him back to the ship, he could disapprove all he liked.

On the other hand, Anakin knew that as long as _he _didn't get on the shuttle, neither would his men – a fact that both pleased and exasperated him. He turned on his heel to face them. "If you're going to stay, fine. Just keep out of my way."

"Yes, sir," replied Trap, not moving an inch.

Flash glanced between them, as though measuring the distance between himself and Anakin, and took a deliberate step back. Anakin rolled his eyes and resumed pacing. Dooku drew closer – closer . . .

Anakin faced the door as the Sith Lord stepped into the room, his red lightsaber already ignited. "Skywalker," he said darkly. "Your decision to face me is not surprising – though I must question your judgment. Are you attempting revenge for your earlier defeat, or are you simply too foolish to know when you are outmatched?"

"You haven't proven that you can outmatch me." Anakin spoke flippantly, despite the knot of resentment that burned in his stomach. "You cheated last time."

"I have no wish to kill you," Dooku said. "Surrender."

"Yeah, no." Anakin ignited his lightsaber. "I'd rather go out fighting."

A yellow gleam appeared in Dooku's eyes. "Surrender, and I'll let your men live."

"See, now we've got a problem," Anakin retorted, glancing back at his soldiers with a one-sided smirk. "I don't believe you. And besides, even if I surrendered, they wouldn't."

"Got it one, General," said Jesse, aiming past Anakin's shoulder.

Dooku shook his head in feigned sorrow. "So be it."

He spun his red blade and brought it to ready position, then put his left hand behind his back, arrogantly waiting for Anakin to come to him.

_So be it, _Anakin mocked. He raised his lightsaber over his head and leaped forward with a yell, slamming his blade into the other's with all his strength. Dooku took a step back, then another, as Anakin pressed him, hammering blow after blow against his defenses.

* * *

Delta Thirty-Eight moved silently behind Sev, allowing the sniper to stay on point as they hurried toward the _Predator_. He'd lost his pistol, as well as Scorch's, in the arena; and Scorch still had his rifle. It didn't matter, in one sense, because right now Boss wouldn't be able to hold either – still, being in enemy territory without a gun was unsettling.

He extended his gauntlet vibroblade and locked it, then signaled for Fixer, who was lagging, to close ranks. "Advisor, we're coming up on the main corridor."

_"Roger that." _Advisor sounded both relieved and concerned._ "Be careful. Ventress is nearby and moving toward General Kenobi. Fisto's gone to help, but – hold it. Scans show one life sign near you, closing fast."_

Boss moved to one side of the hall, Scorch close behind him, while Sev and Fixer took the other. "Any further intel?"

_"Negative. All friendlies are accounted for."_

Sev went down on one knee and readied his rifle.

A shadow fluttered across the hall from a side corridor, and a quick rasping, like metal on stone, drew closer and then faded away.

An instant later, all was silent.

_How many more enemies can this place throw at us? _Boss asked himself pointlessly. "Anyone see where he went?"

"Visual scan shows nothing, sir," Fixer answered.

_"I've lost the trace,"_ Advisor said. _"Blast! Be careful. The signal was cut off at the source. He's probably got some sort of localized jammer."_

Boss hesitated. They couldn't wait around for the enemy to show himself – the citizens were probably tearing through Scorch's blockade at this very moment. They'd just have to risk being caught off-guard. He took the lead. "All right, squad. Form up and stay close."

They broke into a run. Boss heard nothing but the sound of their boots clicking over the stone, but as they reached the main corridor, Sev muttered, "Sir. We're being followed."

Thirty-Eight nodded his understanding. If this enemy, skilled enough to outflank them without Boss noticing, caught up, it was possible that he could take out the squad.

After all, there would be no need for an enemy to get up close and personal if he happened to possess, say, a frag grenade. Those things went through even commando armor like a vibroblade through plasteel.

Boss wasn't particularly willing to take that gamble. It was time to split up and force the enemy to follow one group or the other.

As the squad leader _and _a commando without a ranged weapon, Boss was the most obvious target. _Fixer and Scorch aren't going to like this, but too bad._ He stopped, lifting a closed fist. "Scorch. You and Fixer get yourselves to the _Predator. _Sev and I will handle this, then meet up with the Jedi."

Scorch and Fixer looked at each other, then back at him. Something scraped softly against the ceiling in the next room, and Sev swung around.

Boss joined him, glancing over his shoulder at the other two. "_Move _it, commandos!"

"Yes, sir." Fixer turned away and raised his left hand, signaling for Scorch to form up. After another moment of hesitation, Scorch turned to follow him.


	37. Chapter 37

Cody couldn't remember what he'd been trying to tell General Kenobi. One moment he'd been talking, and the next his thoughts seemed to freeze. He was still staring at the Jedi in confusion when he felt himself drop his pistol.

_Could the Nightsister still be alive?_ He was still wondering why he'd even asked himself such a question when Obi-Wan flung out his hands, and Cody felt himself land against the wall. A dull whispering buzz filled his ears as a red lightsaber blade flicked past his head, and then the fog in his mind vanished and Cody remembered. _Blasted bog-witch._

He and Rex grabbed their pistols at the same instant. A Weequay slammed into Rex from behind, knocking him forward.

Rex bent at the waist and twisted, flinging his assailant off just as Cody caught sight of a new threat – a Weequay and two humans in the hallway, half-hidden behind the pillars as they aimed at the two clones.

A flurry of lasers flew between them. Rex shot his attacker twice and dove for the opposite wall. Cody dropped to one knee near the door, using the partial wall for cover, and fired off a few rounds.

He didn't dare turn around to see how the general was doing – if he and Rex gave the new attackers a chance, they'd have no trouble finishing Obi-Wan off Obi-Wan themselves. _But the general has no lightsaber. _

There was a sudden commotion behind him, and Ventress let out a high, angry shriek.

_"Ventress!" _shouted Kit Fisto, and a lightsaber ignited.

"About time, General," Cody muttered, ducking back as a laser flew uncomfortably close to his head.

"I can't get an angle," said Rex as the sounds of dueling broke out in the room behind them. "I'll draw, you take 'em down."

"No!" snapped Cody. "There's not enough room to maneuver."

Rex cast him a look that clearly meant 'then think of a better idea'.

Fortunately, Cody already had a better idea. He leaned out from cover to send a few more shots at the nearest human. "Get on the comm and warn the Deltas they're coming up on a firefight."

* * *

Delta Thirty-Eight moved slowly down the center of the side hall as Sev waited silently at the opposite end. The lights flickered twice, dimmed, and brightened. Boss forced himself not to look up as the faint rasping sound drew closer and closer, then came to an abrupt halt directly above him.

Deliberately, Boss glanced around. He took one step forward, then another.

And another. . .

A yellow Trandoshan, wearing more armor and equipment than the average grunt, swung down from the ceiling and raised a long rifle.

Sev fired.

The shot missed as the Trandoshan leapt to the side, moving more like a cat than a lizard. His eyes, with their slitted pupils, focused on Sev as the Trandoshan darted from side to side, keeping Boss between himself and Sev.

"I will take your heads for trophies." His rattling voice filled the hall.

Thirty-Eight laughed darkly. "We'll see about that, lizard."

The Trandoshan raised his rifle, hissing loudly.

Boss kept his gaze focused on the alien's clawed trigger-finger. As it tightened, he stepped back and turned on his heel.

The blue streak of light that was Sev's shot went past his visor just as the Trandoshan's rifle let out a high-pitched sound. Both shots missed.

A second red laser flew past Sev's neck. Sev ignored it, firing again as he ran forward.

Boss ran for the main corridor in an attempt to draw the enemy's attention. A laser slammed into his pack, knocking him forward, and he missed a step. _Okay, the plan's working a little too well. _

Regaining his footing, he dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the next laser, but the third hit him. His shields were dangerously low. Whatever weapon this Trandoshan had, it was definitely specialized. No normal blaster had that amount of power.

_"Delta Squad," _Captain Rex said. _"There are three hostiles ahead of you. Cody and I are keeping them occupied for now."_

"Understood," replied Boss, ducking again and catching himself against the wall with one hand. What he wouldn't give for a grenade right about now. "Give us thirty seconds."

Another shot hit his arm, and he winced as his shields gave out.

"Hold!" Sev barked.

Boss froze. A red laser shattered into the wall right where his head would have been, had he kept moving.

Sev fired again, and this time the Trandoshan hissed in pain. There was a quick rasping of claws on stone and a thud.

With a final burst of effort, Boss gained the entrance and slipped back into the main hallway. He could hear the mixed laserfire of the battle up ahead, and he kept running, slowing only to let Sev catch up. "Did you kill him?"

"Not sure," Sev muttered, switching his blaster attachment. "I'm out of sniper rounds, though."

Fixer's voice came through the comms. _"Sir, I'm putting the exit door on a timer."_

"We'll be there," Thirty-Eight said.

From behind them, the Trandoshan snarled, then muttered, "This is Bossk. I require . . . reinforcements. The commandos have separated."

Sev started to turn back, but Boss stopped him. "No. We're running on borrowed time."

"Yes, sir."

They turned the corner and stopped short. Two humans and a Weequay, their backs to the commandos, were crouched behind support pillars, firing a continuous stream of lasers through an open doorway. They weren't hitting anything except the door, but their lasers were keeping Rex and Cody pinned down.  
Sev lifted his rifle and fired three quick bursts. The last human caught on to what was happening and dove out of the way, right into the path of Captain Rex's shots.

Cody and Rex stood up and turned into the room, and Boss and Sev moved to join them, stepping over a dead Weequay. In the center of the room, General Fisto was exchanging rapid blows with Ventress. The speed of their movements made it dangerous to go anywhere near them.

Rex reached forward suddenly, then stopped short, his hand falling uselessly back down at his side.

Boss followed his gaze. On the far side of the room, near the open door that led to the shuttle, knelt General Kenobi, an ugly burn across the left side of his collarbone. He was resting one hand on a fallen trooper's shoulder while his other hand hovered uselessly above the charred hole in the soldier's back.

_"One minute," _said Fixer.

"Acknowledged," replied Boss. "Commander, time's up."

Cody nodded and turned to the Jedi. "General Kenobi! We have to get to the _Predator!"_

Kenobi looked up as though in surprise, then gave a firm nod. His gaze moved from Cody to Ventress. He reached out a wavering hand. Boss realized that he was trying to summon the lightsaber which hung on Ventress' belt.

The lightsaber didn't move. General Kenobi's face hardened, and he took a step forward.

"Oh, no you _don't_," snapped Cody, and shoved his pistol at Rex.

"Cody –?" began Rex, taking the weapon.

To Thirty-Eight's complete shock, the commander lunged directly into the lightsaber duel. He dodged around Fisto's swing, causing the Nautolan to jerk back in surprise, then ducked beneath Ventress' blades, snatched Kenobi's lightsaber from her belt, and threw himself into a forward dive that ended in a somersault.

He landed next to his general and stood up, holding the weapon out. Kenobi took it almost automatically, only his eyes showing his surprise.

Sev grunted, glancing at Rex. "And I thought _you_ were crazy," he said flatly.

Rex just looked from him to Cody as the two Jedi converged on Ventress. She gave ground, backing toward the door the commandos had just come through.

The clones edged sideways, avoiding the three combatants, then hurried around the room toward Cody, who had turned the fallen soldier onto his back and was removing his helmet.

Rex knelt beside him and took off his own helmet. "Namer?"

Boss gazed down at the dead trooper's face, which was oddly peaceful beneath his greying hair.

"He's gone, Rex," Cody said.

A crash of collapsing stone drew their attention, and General Fisto shouted, "That should hold her, Obi-Wan! We must leave!"

Rex closed his eyes and rested a hand on Namer's chest plate for an instant, then got to his feet and replaced his helmet as the Jedi ran up.

"I'm sorry," General Kenobi said sadly, pausing beside them. Boss wondered whether he spoke to Rex or to Namer – perhaps to both.

Kit Fisto shook his head once, his eyes darkening to purple, then looked at Boss. "Sergeant, where are Fixer and Scorch?"

"At the shuttle."

"Then let us join them." Kit Fisto gestured sharply and led the way from the room.

* * *

Anakin snarled as he was forced back toward the foot of the stairs. Dooku's expression was confident and serene as he continued his fierce attacks, but his deep eyes glittered victoriously.

Anakin's arms and hands tingled from the repeated blows, and he struggled to focus through the remnants of the shadows in his mind. He stepped back again, his knees almost giving out as Dooku landed a heavy blow. His heel hit the lowest stair, and he wavered.

A faint flicker warned him just before the clones started shooting past him in an attempt to distract Dooku. The Sith lord sneered and lifted two fingers away from his curved lightsaber hilt to throw them back.

"You won't win, Dooku," Anakin said between his teeth, struggling to keep his balance. "Even if you manage to beat me, you won't get by Obi-Wan _and _Master Fisto."

"Your strongest trait is your arrogance," mused Dooku, leaning his weight against Anakin's blade. "It is a pity that the Jedi failed to train that out of you."

"Why?" Anakin was shaking all over with the strain. "Because I won't surrender?"

Dooku looked down his nose at him, not even seeming to try as he continued to increase his pressure against Anakin's lightsaber. "Because you continue to fight even when it is impossible to win."

"Better than running at the first hint of defeat," Anakin gasped, more out of habit than anything else.

Dooku glanced suddenly back towards the far door. As though tiring of the fight, he brought his other hand up to his lightsaber hilt and threw his weight against their crossed blades.

Anakin staggered and his ankles caught against the step. He fell backwards and landed on the stairs, weakly raising his blade in a defensive position, but Dooku seemed to have lost interest. He was facing the door.

"Cover the general!" shouted Jesse, firing a quick burst. The other clones were already shooting.

Dooku swatted the shots into the far wall, reached out, and clutched at the air, lifting Flash off the ground.

Flash dropped his gun to grab at his throat, and Trap and Jesse leaped past the stairs, continuing their attack.

Anakin turned on his side, pushing himself up from the ground with one hand and clutching his lightsaber with the other. Kix grabbed him by the forearms and dragged him upright, then winced and braced his left arm against his stomach.

Anakin steadied himself, then jumped into the air, aiming a savage blow at Dooku's neck. To his surprise, the count dropped his lightsaber and threw Flash through the air to land against Trap. With one hand, Dooku caught Anakin's wrist, and with the other he physically grabbed him by the throat and shoved him to his knees.

_Okay . . .that's new. _

"Surrender!" ordered Dooku.

Anakin glowered back, fighting against the panic that filled his mind at the sudden lack of oxygen. Why did the Sith Lord want to leave him alive? Why didn't he just kill him?

Two clone commandos rushed into the room.

Dooku released Anakin and snatched up both lightsabers. Anakin struggled into a sitting position.

Fixer, completely ignoring the Sith Lord, knelt to adjust the door controls. Scorch tilted his head curiously for a moment, then charged Dooku, firing a steady stream of shots as he ran, body slightly turned so as to avoid the deflected shots.

_Huh. _Anakin got to his feet once more and used the Force to wrench his lightsaber away from Dooku.

Dooku leaped away and put his back to the far wall, spinning his saber to protect himself as Scorch, Trap, Jesse and Flash settled into a firing pattern.

Near the door, Fixer stopped whatever he was doing and limped over to join the others. "One minute," he said into his comm, then drew his pistol one-handed and added his own fire to the battle.

Anakin narrowed his eyes and waited for an opening.

Scorch got too close, and the other clones stopped shooting. Dooku leaped forward. Scorch threw himself to the side, and Dooku followed.

Anakin jumped to the commando's defense. He blocked the strike, but landed unsteadily. His legs gave out beneath him and he hit the ground with a crack that made his teeth jolt.

"Surrender," ordered Dooku again, and this time he spoke sharply, his breath coming in quick gasps as he held his blade beside Anakin's neck.

Irritation at his own failure and anger at Dooku filled Anakin in a rush that made his vision darken as energy returned to his limbs. He snatched at Dooku's wrist to pull himself up and shoved the elderly man back as he ignited his own weapon one last time, pinning Dooku's wrist to the wall.

For an endless moment, the Sith lord faced him silently, but there was a hint of haughty fear in his gaze. "Well, young Skywalker? Are you going to kill me?"

Anakin's eyes felt hot as he glared at the Sith, forgetting everything else around him. But despite his desire to end Dooku, something in the back of his mind warned that, if he struck now, he would be killing out of hatred. . . again. "I'm not you, Dooku," he spat, uncertain whether he was speaking to Dooku or to himself.

"You will pay for your failure," replied the count, and his voice grew deeper. "You still . . . have not – _learned!"_

At the last word, a powerful blow slammed into Anakin's chest, and he flew backwards and hit the ground hard. Dooku held his lightsaber horizontally and reached out with the other hand.

Anakin watched in horror as Trap was dragged through the air and impaled on the blade. He jerked once, then was still. Dooku deactivated his lightsaber, and Trap's body crumpled to the ground as the Sith turned his attention to the commandos.

"_Trap!_" The shout was followed by a yell of fury. Before Anakin could stop him, Flash sprinted across the room and threw himself against Dooku.

"Flash, no!" Jesse lowered his weapon.

"Twenty seconds!" Fixer warned.

Dooku glanced behind him at the door again. He caught Flash by the arm and shoved him back, following with a slash from his blade.

Scorch dashed forward, just as Anakin intervened with the last of his strength. Between them, they managed to slow him enough for Jesse to move in and drag Flash away. The blow that was meant for Flash's chest caught him in the arm instead, leaving a deep burn.

The Force gave a weak flicker, and Anakin responded, catching the sudden onslaught of electricity on his blade. When he recovered, it was to hear Kit Fisto shouting for everyone to retreat. Obi-wan was stumbling towards the stairs, and Dooku was nowhere to be seen.

Scorch hesitated, then ran back toward the door, yelling something about going back for the others. Cody and Rex, who had just entered the room, caught his arms and yanked him forcibly to a halt. Jesse dragged a stunned Flash to his feet.

"Five seconds!" shouted Fixer.

Boss stumbled through the empty doorway, Sev helping him along with a hard shove. An instant later, the blast doors slammed shut behind them and sealed with a hiss.

Anakin's vision was blacking out. He stumbled toward the stairs, automatically following the others. Scorch, Sev, and Kit Fisto, who seemed to be the only ones still moving as efficiently as ever, fell behind to cover the retreat.

Flash was halfway up the stairs when slowed to a halt and sent a final, backwards glance at Trap's body. Jesse waited for a moment, then gave him a slight push.

Anakin's anger surged, then faded into exhaustion. He felt his eyes closing, and the room spun about him.

Kix tapped Anakin on the arm. "General."

"I'm here," Anakin slurred. "Dooku?"

"He escaped, sir," said Rex from beside him. His voice hovered between anger and fatigue, perfectly reflecting Anakin's feelings.

Rex's comlink flashed green.

_"Get to the shuttle, NOW!" _Advisor shouted urgently. _"Everyone, move it! Planetary defenses are coming online!"_


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was intending to complete 'Separatist Web' this chapter, but I think I'll aim for a nice, even forty chapters instead. :) Either way, my dear readers, the story will be finished this week . . . !

Kit Fisto, who had stayed well behind the others, ran up the stairway to Saresh's house, his lightsaber casting green-tinted shadows over the stone steps. Ahead of him, Sev and Scorch were just climbing the ramp when the _Predator_ shuddered violently, almost knocking Scorch off-balance.

_"Rocket launchers!" _called Advisor. _"We can't take another hit!"_

"Seal the doors and get out of here!" Kit Fisto ordered.

Sev glanced back at him from the doorway, but said nothing. The boarding ramp retracted and the door hissed shut, leaving Kit Fisto alone.

_"General?" _Advisor said.

"I'll make my way to the _Twilight._ Switch, can you hold position?"

There was a faint crackle before Switch said, _"Not for long, sir. I've had to take off. There's no room to maneuver!"_

_ "General," _said another clone. _"I've got a Trandoshan with a rocket launcher on my viewer. We have to pull back!"_

"Very well," replied Kit calmly, but he was momentarily overcome by uncertainty. If he couldn't get to either of the shuttles. . .

Then Rex spoke. _"Switch, land on top of the Cauldron!" _

_"Right away, sir." _

From the room below, Kit heard a metallic _clang _as someone tried to force the sealed door open. A pressing sense of danger warned him just before there was an explosion and a whistling sound as a second rocket was launched.

Kit sprinted out the door and threw himself high into the air. The rocket slammed into the doorway, and the house collapsed on itself as a MagnaGuard turned to face him, a heavy rocket launcher resting on one of its cloaked shoulders.

Kit landed in a crouch on one foot, spinning to keep his balance. As he turned, he whipped his lightsaber around behind his back, then jumped up. The droid fell apart, its top half hitting the ground first.

Deactivating his lightsaber, Kit cast a quick glance up at the shuttle, which hovered above him. Keeping to the shadows, Kit Fisto ran along the perimeter of the Cauldron. "Oddball, why are you waiting?"

_"Planetary defenses are online," _Oddball reminded him. _"They've got long-range cannons ready."_

"Can't you get by?"

_"No, sir. Even if our shields were full, there are eight cannons."_

_ "Sir, we've landed," _Switch said. _"I've lost the Trandoshan, though."_

Kit leaped upward through the night air and landed on the roof of the Cauldron. The _Twilight's _boarding ramp was down, and Boil, Waxer and Snap were standing on it, waiting for him.

Without warning, Snap jerked his rifle into firing position and let off a volley of shots, directly over Kit Fisto's shoulder.

Something gave a rattling hiss behind him.

Kit spun. "I think we've located the Trandoshan!" he exclaimed.

The yellow-skinned Trandoshan lifted a rocket launcher and fired straight at his head. If Kit dodged, the missile would destroy the _Twilight _and everyone inside it. He dropped his lightsaber and braced himself, hands upraised.

The rocket was inches from his hands when he summoned the Force in a powerful, focused blow. The missile reversed direction, flew into the roof some meters away, and exploded.

For the second time that night, Kit was sent flying. He landed hard and rolled several times, coming to a stop when he slammed into the boarding ramp.

"Well, that hurt," he mused, summoning his lightsaber back. The Trandoshan was nowhere to be seen. "Let's go, Switch!"

Waxer and Boil moved back into the shuttle. Snap waited on the ramp, an almost suspicious tilt to his helmet – he seemed to think that Kit Fisto wouldn't actually make it onto the shuttle.

Given the day's happenings, Kit couldn't blame him. He grinned and ran up the ramp as it retracted into the ship.

"General!" Sergeant Boomer had been kneeling beside Gadget, but he got stiffly to his feet and leaned against the wall as the ship took off.

"We're not out of danger yet." Kit waved him back. "Stay there."

"Yes, sir. Wooley's on the gun, Longshot's on sensors." Boomer cast a look at the other troopers. The 212th clones had moved to the fold-down seats on the walls and were fastening their restraints, but the 501st troopers were still standing. Boomer frowned. "Fives! Echo! Det! Strap in, you idiots."

They rushed to obey, and Boomer made sure Gadget was secured before limping over to join them.

Hiding his amusement, Kit Fisto moved to the cockpit. Switch was piloting, slowly maneuvering the ship between the buildings along the wide street. Wooley stood in the center of the cockpit, his hands on the firing controls, while Longshot cast darting glances at three different displays in front of him.

"Oddball," said Kit, watching as the empty street slid away beneath them. "You said there were eight cannons. Long range or short range?"

_"Long range, General. They're automated. If we pilot the shuttles like fighters and divide the cannons' fire, there's a _slight_ chance one of us might get away."_

"I see." Kit looked over at Longshot, who nodded his agreement of Oddball's assessment. "Then we'll have to destroy them. Do we have the necessary firepower?"

Cody cut in. _"Yes, but the streets won't allow for it. By the time we're in firing position, we'll be blown to bits."_

"I thought as much." Kit moved to the viewport, leaned on the back of Switch's chair, and peered down at the dark city. "But we must destroy them – our only other option is to maneuver through the streets below roof level until we're well out of the city."

_"We won't have time," _Anakin said, his voice still weak. _"They'll send fighters after us soon, if they haven't already."_

The three clones continued with their tasks, seemingly unaffected by the situation, but their tension in the Force was palpable. The _Twilight_ neared the warehouse where he and the clones had hidden before moving into the Cauldron. Kit Fisto tapped Switch on the shoulder. "Can you slow the ship any further?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then do so. I'm going to take care of those cannons."

He headed aft, ignoring the clones' surprise. It was an insane idea, but they hadn't come all this way only to die here, so close to escape. _I will _not_ place everyone's lives in jeopardy rather than risking my own. _

Not that he had any intention of dying. He smirked to himself, his brief grim mood evaporating. "Lower the boarding ramp."

He stepped out onto it, the cool night air rushing past him into the shuttle. He waited until the _Twilight_ was directly over the warehouse. Then, with a final, quick look at the empty street below him, he jumped out into the dark.

* * *

Delta Thirty-Eight studied the schematics of Heela's defense system. Eight heavy fire cannons were positioned in the exact center of the city, each pointing in a different direction. "Why didn't we see this before?"

"It was under a retractable roof," said Commander Cody, examining the display with a narrowed gaze. "And we didn't get a reading on them because they were powered down until just now."

Scorch shook his head. "General Fisto's never going to take those cannons by himself."

"You're right." General Skywalker leaned between Cody and Rex to glance at the screen. "He'll need help."

Boss looked at him thoughtfully. Given that Skywalker was visibly shaking and barely able to stand, he'd better not be thinking of jumping down there.

Before he could put his thought into words, Rex spoke. "General, respectfully – we've already had to rescue you once."

The Jedi looked unwillingly agreeing. "I'm. . . yeah, I know. And Obi-Wan's even worse. We'd better not tell him that Master Fisto needs help."

"Understood." Cody's face was carefully blank. "General, I thought Kix wanted you to report to the cargo hold."

"I'm getting on the turret," General Skywalker said, brushing aside Cody's words. "Sev, Scorch – think you'll be able to get down there one more time?"

They turned to Boss. He glanced at Fixer, who nodded, and faced the general. "We'll go, sir."

"All of you?" Skywalker sounded surprised, as well he might. Delta Squad wasn't currently at full capability.

Then again, they didn't need to be. Boss stood. "Advisor?"

"Oddball, change course," Advisor said, staring at the display. "Get us there fast."

Oddball increased speed. The _Predator_ gained altitude, its wings a meter above the rooftops.

"One minute to target. No lifeforms present," Advisor said, twisting in his seat to glance at Thirty-Eight, who raised an eyebrow at his apparent uncertainty. No, the bacta implants hadn't fully repaired the damage to his arms yet, but Boss was able to function. So were his squad mates. Advisor opened his mouth to speak, then apparently decided against it.

Boss put his helmet on and turned to his team. "Scorch, Sev. Get me every demolition charge on the ship."

"Right away, Boss!" Scorch rushed off with glee, Sev following a bit more sedately.

Rex drew his pistols and flipped them around, handing one to Boss and the other to Fixer. "Looks like you could use some weapons, but I want these back."

"Understood, Captain," said Fixer, his voice still hoarse.

Boss tilted his head, eyeing the DC-17 far more skeptically than was necessary. "We'll _try_ not to damage them."

Cody looked up as Sev and Scorch returned. "I can't reach General Fisto. It looks like he shut off his comm – probably to avoid detection."

"That could be a problem," Sev said, clipping a charge to either side of his belt. "He won't know we're there."

Boss knew that Sev wasn't concerned that General Fisto would accidentally kill them so much as he was that Delta Squad would blow the general up. Still – it wasn't like they had much of a choice.

A 501st trooper with a lightsaber burn scored through the armor of his upper left arm approached. "I'm going with you, Sergeant."

Rex frowned. "Flash –"

"Captain." Flash turned to face him, his voice level and controlled behind his helmet. "If we don't survive, they'll have died for nothing. We _have_ to take those cannons down, fast. I can help with that."

"You're not fit for battle."

"Neither are the commandos."

"That's not the point!"

Flash paused. "I know explosives. Better than you do, sir. I'll be able to help the Deltas complete their objectives more quickly."

"Fifteen seconds to target," said Advisor. He'd turned back to his display and was, at least outwardly, paying attention only to his job.

Boss signaled to his squad and headed out to the boarding ramp. A moment later, Rex came out, followed by Flash and Jesse.

"Permission to join you, Sergeant?" Flash said formally, gesturing at Jesse.

When Rex didn't argue, Boss nodded. The captain left without a word, and the door hissed open.

_"Good luck, Deltas," _said Advisor. _"As always."_

"We'll be back," replied Boss.

"As always," Fixer added dryly.

Scorch elbowed Jesse. "We'll be moving fast," he said, sounding a bit uncertain.

"Eh, we can keep up." Jesse positioned his blaster across his chest and readied himself to jump.

"Jesse, Scorch, you're with Fixer," said Boss. "Sev, Flash, with me."

The ship slowed to a near-hover, and the boarding ramp extended out over the roof of a wide building. Boss jumped, tucking into a roll as he hit the roof.

One after another, the other five clones jumped. The _Predator, _its ramp extended, lost altitude until it was once more shielded by the surrounding buildings.

Advisor had dropped them off on top of the high wall that protected the city's defense complex. The first cannon was only a few meters away, and the others were easily visible in the bright lights that shown at intervals around the area.

"In and out," Boss said quietly, moving down the stairs that led down the inside of the wall. "Fixer – take this one. We'll take the next. Alternate around the complex."  
"Got it, sir."

Scorch and Fixer knelt on either side of the cannon, placing the explosives while Jesse stood facing into the complex, ready to shoot at the first sign of a threat.

Boss moved forward. Nothing moved in the shadows. The cannons were automated, programmed to lock on to specific targets from a control center on the far side of the complex. It would be easier to destroy the control center, but the cannons could also be operated manually. Better to take down the threat right away.

Flash lay detonator tape around the cannon's base. Sev glanced at what he was doing, then wired a small charge beside it.

_"Delta Lead," _said Advisor. _"Four squads of vultures just launched forty kilometers away."_

"Explosives set," called Scorch, running past on his way to the third cannon with Jesse.

Fixer paused. "Sir, we'll have no more than three minutes to finish wiring these and get out."

Boss nodded. _Well, this is familiar territory._ "Let's move, Deltas!"


	39. Chapter 39

Rex stepped into the shuttle's cargo hold, Cody close behind him, to see Kix cleaning a cut on the side of General Kenobi's head.

Obi-Wan looked up, waving Kix away. "Cody? What's the situation?"

"General Fisto's gone to destroy the cannons. Delta Squad, Jesse, and Flash are also down there."

Kix's gaze flickered briefly to Cody when he mentioned Jesse, but he immediately went back to treating his patient.

General Kenobi, looking displeased at the news, tried to brush Kix off again. Kix ignored him with the ease of long practice.

Obi-Wan gave up. "Where's Anakin?"

"On the turret gun," said Cody neutrally.

Kix sighed, finished sealing the bacta patch, and tapped the general on the shoulder. "You're all set, sir."

"Thank you." Obi-Wan got stiffly to his feet and brushed fastidiously at his robes. "Are we still near the defense complex?"

"Yes, sir, but you are not going down there," said Cody. "By the time you get out to the cockpit, we'll be well past it."

General Kenobi blinked in surprise at Cody's authoritative tone. Rex and Cody left the room while he was still recovering from the shock.

As they entered the cockpit, Advisor turned to them. "Four squads of vulture droids headed our way. ETA, two and a half minutes."

Cody leaned over to view the display. "Contact the _Negotiator _and tell them to get the defensive turrets online. We'll be coming in hot."

"Right away, Commander."

Anakin released the turret gun. "Rex, take over."

"Yes, sir. Where are you headed?"

His general stumbled a bit, but turned to look at him with a confident, one-sided smirk. "To the _Twilight._ I mean, _some_one's gotta get it out of here in one piece, and it's not going to be Switch."

The ship-to-ship channel indicator blinked green. _"Thanks for the vote of confidence, General." _

"Any time, Switch," Anakin replied. "You can co-pilot for me."

He left, and Rex looked out the side viewport in time to see him soar from the _Predator_ to the _Twilight, _which had its boarding ramp extended.

Advisor was trying to raise General Fisto on the comms again, with no success. Rex adjusted the targeting system on the turret and checked the radar. The vultures were closing fast.

This mission had been a failure in that Ventress had escaped, but so far most of the Republic team had survived. They were _not _going to fail at the last minute, not if Rex had anything to say about it.

And he did have something to say about it. "I'll need more power on the guns."

Oddball looked over one shoulder. "I'm not sure how much I can give you, Captain. Shields are drawing forty percent right now. As it is, I'll have to pull power from the engines if we want to survive more than a few laser hits."

Cody glanced at the overhead display and rested his chin in one hand. "General Skywalker, are you in position?"

_"Yes."_

"Good. As soon as we get the signal from Delta Squad, head for the _Negotiator._"

Obi-Wan came into the room as Anakin spoke again. _"Got it. What about you guys?"_

"Just get the vultures to follow you."

_"Yeah, okay. I hope you've got something good in mind, Cody, because fifteen vultures are a little much, even for me. Don't tell Obi-Wan."_

"I heard that, Anakin," Obi-Wan interjected, heading to the front of the cockpit. He sat down in the co-pilot's seat and fastened the security restraints. "All right, Oddball, it sounds like Cody has a plan. We'd best be ready to follow it."

Cody leaned over Advisor to view the system diagnostics. "General Kenobi, prepare to cut power to shield system on my mark."

_"Uh, Cody?" _Anakin asked suspiciously. _"What are you doing?" _

Cody didn't answer.

Even Obi-Wan seemed to hesitate for half an instant, but then he said, "Ready to cut power."

Rex cast a surprised look at him and privately agreed with his own general. Cody had better have something _really_ good in mind.

* * *

Kit Fisto floored the landspeeder's accelerator and sent it straight at the security gate of the fast-approaching defense complex. He would prefer a little more finesse in his approach, but this method would work. Better a destroyed landspeeder than two destroyed shuttles.

He looked up at the Republic ships, hovering close to the complex, in time to see a figure leap from one to the next. _I suppose that was Anakin. _

The gate was meters away. Kit crouched, then jumped straight up, coming back down to the ground behind the vehicle as it smashed through the gate.

Igniting his lightsaber, Kit rushed past the flaming vehicle, through the gap, and straight at the nearest cannon. He swung the lightsaber over his head and it sank into the metal with a satisfying hiss. Automated turrets had a safety that would cause them to shut down if they overheated. All he had to do was get his blade close to the sensor wire . . . _there_. With a loud, diminishing hum, the cannon deactivated.

Only seven to go –

Kit hesitated. There were other beings here, not ten paces behind him and approaching fast. He swung around and Sev skidded to a halt, both hands lifted slightly. "General."

"Sev!" Kit lowered his blade, realizing what must have happened.

Boss ran up beside Sev, a 501st trooper behind him. "General, I just called the _Predator_ in. We have sixty seconds before the vultures arrive."

Kit Fisto blinked and glanced around the brightly lit complex. "They have vulture droids now?"

"See, this is why you shouldn't turn your comm off," Scorch joked, coming up with Fixer and Jesse.

"We've only got four cannons wired," said Jesse, pausing to look at Kit Fisto's neatly destroyed cannon. "Make that five."

Boss pulled out a charge and headed deeper into the complex. "Get to the shuttle. You too, commandos."

_"Delta Lead – what are you doing?" _Advisor demanded, audible through Jesse's comlink.

The sergeant didn't answer. The other commandos seemed torn between obedience and loyalty, and even the other troopers hesitated.

Kit Fisto followed Boss. "I'll help him. Get onboard."

Surprisingly, it was Scorch who obeyed first. "Yes, sir."

The Jedi ran past Boss and disabled one cannon as the sergeant set his explosives on the next. Neither spoke. Kit finished first and jumped, reaching the third and final cannon.

"Sergeant, get back to the _Predator_. I'll catch up."

Before Boss could reply, a high-pitched screaming sounded from above them, and a formation of vulture droids whizzed overhead. Most of them veered around, but one flipped over and headed straight for the Jedi and the sergeant.

"Hurry!" shouted Kit Fisto, stabbing his blade into the last cannon.

Boss grabbed a sonic grenade from his belt with his left hand and broke into a run. Kit disabled the cannon and sprinted after him. He could feel the danger like a pressure around the center of his mind. Powerful lasers slammed into the duracrete around and behind them, throwing them off-balance. They weren't going to make it.

Just ahead of him, Boss turned on his heel and flung the grenade with all his strength. The vulture took the hit dead-on, swerved dangerously, and veered downward

"Look out!" Kit leaped and knocked the sergeant to the ground, looking up in time to see a huge fireball smash into the ground ten meters away. Shrapnel and sparks flew in all directions, and a piece of burning metal slammed into the base of one of the cannons.

Boss rolled clear and got to his feet, and the Jedi felt a sudden pulse of alarm from him. The reason for this struck Kit a moment later – the charges the commandos had set could be activated by fire.

* * *

Cody and Rex stood on the boarding ramp. Beneath them, Jesse and Flash fired their ascender cables into the _Predator _on either side of the door. It was a bit of a hard shot – Advisor had shut off the lights to make it harder for the vultures to find them, but they managed not to hit Cody or Rex.

Cody glanced down at the ground. He wasn't absolutely sure, but the commandos seemed to be having a short, silent disagreement as Flash and Jesse climbed up.

Sev elbowed Scorch and tilted his helmet toward the shuttle. Scorch shook his head and pointed to Fixer, who still limped slightly. The corporal, looking almost indignant, straightened and reached out to clout Scorch on the shoulder; he then pointed sharply to the shuttle.

Rex snorted and leaned down to pull Jesse up. With a quick nod, Jesse ran inside, past Kix, who was hovering in the doorway. The instant he was clear, Scorch fired his own cable.

Cody reached down to help Flash, who was clinging to the line with one hand and struggling to raise his injured arm.

"Cody, Rex!" General Kenobi called from inside. "The vultures are closing fast"

With a muttered apology, Cody grabbed Flash's wrist, dragged him roughly up, and shoved him towards Kix.

Scorch gained the ramp without help and knelt between Cody and Rex to load an anti-armor round into his gun. "You might want to keep your heads down," he warned cheerfully.

The shrill sound of incoming fighters filled the air. Fixer was still climbing up on Cody's side when Sev reached the ramp. Rex moved out of Sev's way as the sniper, who moved like a panther as he swung up and got into firing position.

Fixer accepted Cody's help, then stood at the very end of the right side of the boarding ramp. Keeping his left arm and ankle hooked around the strut, he leaned precariously out into open air, his pistol at arm's length.

Vulture droids screamed past overhead, overshot the complex, and came around in a tight, sweeping turn – all except one, which flipped over and sideways and rushed towards Boss and Kit Fisto. The two of them sprinted for the shuttle as heavy laser fire rained down around them.

Boss turned, running backwards for a moment. A flash of green flew from his hand to the vulture and exploded. General Fisto tackled Boss to the ground as the flaming wreckage of the droid splintered against the base of a cannon between them and the shuttle.

"The explosives," Fixer said.

Cody glanced down at the flames that licked the cannon, close to the blinking lights of the detpack.

"Oh, yeah," mumbled Scorch. "This'll end well."

Sev slung his rifle on his belt, then moved opposite Fixer to mirror his precarious position. "Thirty-Eight. You'd better hurry, sir."

The rest of the vulture droids came around for another pass, finally locking on to the shuttle's location.

"Get inside!" Cody cried.

Rex obeyed and the commandos did not.

Cody shoved Fixer and Scorch, repeating his orders in a roar. "Get inside, NOW! Oddball, they're headed for the security gate!"

The ship swung ninety degrees, and Cody clutched at Fixer to keep from being thrown overboard. The open door was now directly in front of Boss, who fired his cable too high, hitting the roof of the ship, and retracted it so fast that he was three feet above the ramp when he let go, landing heavily next to Scorch.

Fixer and Sev pulled him up, and stumbled inside as a double flicker of red lasers flashed past, skimming the top of the shuttle.

One droid slowed, its wings swinging down as it prepared to land.

General Fisto skidded to a halt beneath the _Predator _and turned as though intending to cut the droid in half.

Sev and Fixer stepped out onto the ramp as Scorch leaned forward and fired. The vulture's head exploded, and its metal body smashed down and burst into flame.

General Fisto finally jumped up and landed at the very edge of the ramp. Fixer and Sev grabbed his elbows, forcefully propelling him towards the door. The normally graceful Jedi, caught by surprise, tripped slightly as he crossed the doorframe.

Cody was following with Scorch when the first cannon exploded. A concussive wave hit their shoulders, knocking them forward into the shuttle.

Rex shut the doors behind them and raced back to the turret.

General Fisto straightened his tunic and blinked. "That was close."

Boss tossed the remote detonator, caught it, and moved to the side viewport. The vulture droids came around again, heading directly over the complex. Boss hit the detonator. The _Predator _jolted and shuddered from the force of the explosions, which caught the lowest-flying vulture.

The remaining droids surrounded them, dangerously close. Oddball worked frantically to maneuver the ship through the swarm. The instant they gained some distance, he hit the accelerator and pulled up hard.

The ship swerved, and everyone stumbled or fell. Rex jumped up, fastened the turret's security restraints around his chest, and grabbed the controls. Cody locked his arms around the back of Advisor's chair and leaned forward to view his displays.

_"Coming up to starboard," _called Anakin. _"Hold position. Switch and I have a plan."_

Out of the corner of his eye, Cody saw Obi-Wan throttling back the engines. The red and green dots on the screen grew closer . . . closer . . .

And the _Twilight _rushed past, tilting at the last second to clip a vulture droid at the tip of one wing. The droid spun crazily, and the other vultures turned, their programming sending them after what appeared to be the bigger threat..

"Now!" snapped Cody. "Cut shields and increase power to weapons system by ten percent!"

"On it, sir." Oddball finished carrying out the orders almost before Cody had finished giving them.

_"Hope your turrets are up to it, because now _we're_ the ones in big trouble!" _Anakin called.

Cody raised an eyebrow, looking down at the screen. The green dot that showed the _Twilight's _position jinked from side to side, closely followed by thirteen red dots. Time to cut that number down. "Rex? Time's wasting!"

"On it," Rex replied. "In range in two, one –"

The _Predator_ let out a salvo of rapid shots, sustaining the firing rate for longer than usual. One red dot disappeared, then another. The green dot _Twilight _swerved crazily.

_"This isn't working!" _Anakin shouted. _"Our shields can't recharge fast enough!"_

Another red dot disappeared, but the others were quickly drawing out of range.

"We need to give them more time," Obi-Wan said. "Accelerating!"

"Get the shields back up," ordered Cody. "Cut weapons power and boost the engines. General Skywalker, we're switching places."

_"Right." _Anakin sounded faintly relieved. _"Snap is up here, ready for some targets. Let us know when you get bored."_

The _Twilight _cut power and fell back. The vultures overshot it, and the _Predator_ gained rapidly, swerving in and out through the swarm of droids. They were out of the atmosphere now, and the artificial gravity had kicked in, drawing yet more of the ship's power.

"Starting evasive maneuvers," warned Oddball.

The shuttle rotated to the left, and Obi-Wan shrank in his seat. "And here I thought I'd be safe with Anakin piloting a different ship."

Kit Fisto chuckled as he and the commandos moved to the hold to secure themselves while the ship was still relatively stable. Cody took the seat opposite Advisor and secured his own restraints while flicking the secondary display on.

A multiple blast of laser fire hit them from behind. Before Oddball could regain control, something heavy slammed into the portside. Everyone was flung forward or sideways and down. Cody felt as though a hard wall had been thrown into him, shoving him to the left, and his vision blacked out momentarily.

_"Shields are recharged," _said General Skywalker, through the shrill ringing in his ears. _"I'm switching with you guys again – the ship just took a beating. Stupid vulture crashed right into you."_

"Yes, well, maybe if –" Obi-Wan cut off with a sickly gulp as Oddball accelerated and drove the ship into a tight overhead loop.

_"What was that, Master? I can't hear you!" _Anakin's tone indicated that there was nothing in the universe more fun than pulling crazy stunts in an old, frequently repaired and purposefully shot-up shuttle.

Cody and Obi-Wan sighed at exactly the same time.

The _Negotiator _was coming up fast. Cody was impressed to note that there were only six vultures left.

"_Negotiator, _this is General Kenobi. Come in, please."

_"This is the _Negotiator. _Ready to come on board, sir?"_

"Yes, if you would be so kind as to get these vultures off our backs."

_"Sure thing, General. The boys could use the practice, anyway." _

"I always try to please, Gearshift," Obi-Wan replied lightly. "Anakin?"

_"I'll lead the vultures over the _Negotiator's _guns_, _Master," _Anakin said. _"You go ahead and land."_

"All right." Obi-Wan reached for another control. "Turning off gravity generator."

"Landing vector acquired," reported Oddball.

Cody gripped the edge of the desk and continued to watch the display. They were so close . . .

The _Twilight _overshot the _Negotiator_ and came back around as the cruiser's heavy defensive turrets pulverized three of the vultures.

The hangar bay doors opened. As Oddball initiated the landing sequence, one of the red dots reversed suddenly and came around in a tight curve, straight for the _Predator._

"It's going to ram us!" cried Cody. "Rex, take it down!"

Rex swung the turret around, firing continuously as Oddball aborted the landing sequence. The vulture ducked smoothly beneath the stream of lasers. With a desperate jerk of the controls, Rex hit it anyway, but it was too late. The flaming starfighter slammed directly into the top of the shuttle.

Cody barely caught sight of Rex getting thrown against the turret controls. The _Predator _veered sideways, clipped the hangar door, flipped over and crashed.


	40. Chapter 40

Obi-Wan hung upside down in his restraints, gritting his teeth as the shuttle skidded across the hangar floor in a wide turn.

Beside him, Oddball moved calmly, cutting the engines and shutting down all the systems, one after the other. Obi-Wan's comlink blinked green as Gearshift called, _"Are you guys all right down there?"_

"Yes, Gearshift." Obi-Wan was about to unfasten his restraints when the ship jolted one last time, and he bit his tongue instead.

With a displeased sniff, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, grimacing at the smear of blood across the fabric. _So_ uncivilized, but swallowing would have been worse.

Oddball managed to get out of his restraints without falling on his head, and Obi-Wan quickly followed his example. Usually, in crashes, the pilots were the worst off, but the _Predator's_ flipping over had proven to be a blessing in disguise. The shape of the shuttle had protected them.

Rex hung awkwardly in his restraints, but Oddball was headed in his direction, so Obi-Wan checked on the others.

Advisor seemed all right – he'd already gotten up and was limping toward the main door. Cody, on the other hand, was slumped sideways in his seat, only just starting to move.

Obi-Wan moved across the ceiling to reach him. "Cody?"

Cody fumbled uselessly at the security restraint's buckle, which had twisted around behind his shoulders, and his tone was somewhat slurred when he said, "Respectfully, General, your piloting skills are terrible."

It was the most disgruntled Cody had ever sounded, though the crash was in no way Obi-Wan's fault.

Obi-Wan gave him a pleasant smile and moved to assist with the restraints. "Well, at least you're conscious."

Cody simply eyed him in resigned exasperation.

Someone groaned behind them, and the sound reminded Obi-Wan that they were in a crashed shuttle. "Though it might be wise to evacuate."

Cody stood up, and his expression of disbelief was, momentarily, a shade on the disrespectful side. "Rex?"

Obi-Wan turned back into the hold. Advisor had just forced the door open, and Oddball was hauling Anakin's captain upright.

Rex wasn't injured – rather, he seemed to think he wasn't, because he straightened, pushed Oddball's arm away, and promptly collapsed.

_Rex is as bad as Anakin,_ Obi-Wan thought hypocritically. Leaving Oddball and Cody to sort him out, he stumbled aft to see how Kit and the others were.

Kit Fisto was studying the cargo bay door as Obi-Wan entered the hold. The Nautolan moved about easily, none the worse for having been on two dangerous missions in the space of a day. When he caught sight of Obi-Wan, he smiled. "We have been fortunate, Obi-Wan!"

"Yes, I should think so." Obi-Wan felt a bit ashamed when he heard the disgruntled tone in his own voice. If asked, he would have said he didn't believe in luck, but Kit's constant ability to escape injury was pushing the limits of his alleged disbelief. It was simply uncanny, the number of missions Kit returned from looking as though he'd just left the Temple for a stroll.

Obi-Wan turned to the troopers, who seemed mostly all right, apart from the injuries they'd already sustained. Jesse moved stiffly to join Kix, who held his left arm immobile while keeping an eye on Flash, who was listing to one side.

In comparison, the commandos stood upright, apparently uninjured and alert – until Sev spoiled the effect by removing his helmet. He looked rather pale and ill.

The sniper glanced at Scorch and muttered something in an undertone. Obi-Wan caught the end of his comment. "– just like you."

"Well, _I _only crash-landed one time," snipped Scorch.

"Yeah. . . one time too many."

Scorch shrugged. "Hey, Rule Forty-Eight: Any crash you can walk away from is a good one."

"Rule Sixty-Two: Crashing a ship is always inadvisable."

"Sev, you _know _that's Nineteen. You're just saying that because it's my number."

"But it's still a rule."

Fixer pulled off his own helmet and fixed the two of them with a warning glower.

Scorch apparently decided it would be best to switch topics. "Boss, the cargo bay door is jammed. We're gonna have to blow it open."

Boss looked at the door, then back at him. "No."

" . . . You're no fun, sir."

Boss tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Let's move out, Deltas."

The commandos, followed closely by the other clones, moved into the cockpit.

Kit Fisto, looking highly amused by the conversation, straightened up, stretched his arms out to either side, and twisted so that his spine gave a dreadful cracking noise. When Obi-Wan flinched, Kit grinned and twisted in the other direction.

Obi-Wan squeezed the bridge of his nose, briefly meditating on the value of patience with fellow Council members. "Let's get to the hangar."

"Lead the way," Kit replied, and cracked his neck.

Obi-Wan frowned at him and folded his arms. "_Do_ you mind?"

The only answer was another beaming smile. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes heavenward, but that only made his headache worse, so, with a resigned sigh, he left the shuttle.

In the cockpit of the _Twilight, _Anakin watched in as the _Negotiator's _gunners swiftly took out the last of the vulture droids.

"General!" said Switch. "One droid broke away. It's headed for –"

A bright flash to starboard caught Anakin's attention.

"– the hangar . . ." Switch finished. "General Kenobi, come in!"

There was only static. Anakin threw the _Twilight _around and headed for the hangar bay.

A clone's voice came through from the _Negotiator_. _"Are you guys all right down there?"_

To Anakin's great relief, Obi-Wan replied. _"Yes, Gearshift."_

He slowed the _Twilight _ to a more manageable speed and guided it carefully through the doors and around the _Predator_, which had crashed upside down.

"We're onboard," he reported, landing several meters inside the shield. "Close the bay doors and get us out of here."

"_Right away, General," _replied a different clone. _"Coordinates set for Coruscant. Entering hyperspace now."_

A squad of clones, two of them lugging fire extinguishers, entered the bay at a run and moved toward the _Predator. _Anakin noted that the crash crews on his own cruiser, the _Defiant, _were faster than the ones on Obi-Wan's ship – though that was probably because Anakin's guys crashed a lot more frequently.

Anakin forced his tense fingers to release the steering yoke. Now that the danger was past, he felt exhausted and wrung out, and his limbs were aching dreadfully. He glanced over at Switch, who returned the look while shutting down the engines. "All set?"

"Yes, sir."

"Great." Anakin hauled himself to his feet with a groan and turned, clinging to the wall for support. "Sound off, guys. All set back there?"

"Everyone's okay, sir," reported Waxer, hitting the release for the cargo bay door.

"Alive, anyway," added Fives, moving over to help Boomer. "Hang on, Sergeant."

The boarding ramp hit the ground with a dull _clang, _and a 212th medic bounded up, slinging his pack off. "Critically injured?"

Gadget attempted to sit up, and Snap pushed him back down with scarcely a glance as Switch limped over to join them.

"Gadget's the worst off," Wooley said. "He'll need a stretcher. The rest of us can walk fine."

"Uh," said Boil, glancing down at the laser burn marks along the left leg of Wooley's armor. "Might want to rethink that, sir."

Wooley turned to face him. "The rest of us," he said slowly, "can walk _fine._"

And he proceeded to the ramp, leaning heavily on Waxer and Boil and disproving his own point.

The medic glanced over the troopers and pointed to Fives and Echo. "You two, help me get Gadget to medbay. The rest of you report there on the double. You too, General."

"What?" Anakin shook his head, raising both hands in a placating gesture. "Uh, no; no, I'm good."

The clone folded his arms and looked him in the eye. One eyebrow lifted slowly, disbelievingly.

Anakin frowned back. "I'm just – tired, that's all."

"Yeah," the medic drawled, pointedly eying the cut on his arm. "I can see that."

"Anakin!" called an all-too-familiar voice. Obi-Wan appeared at the end of the ramp and paused to glance over the men. "Must you _always _cause trouble?"

The medic actually closed his eyes in resignation for a brief moment before turning to face the second Jedi. "General Kenobi."

Obi-Wan looked over, his face a mask of polite interest. "Stitch. How have things been here?"

Stitch's second eyebrow joined the first. "It might help if you'd set an example. I told the medical team to order you to medbay _immediately._"

Anakin snorted. "Well, Master, it looks like your reputation precedes you. Now, why don't you run along and –"

"Anakin, really. Aren't you a little old for this?"

"What? I'm just following your example. In fact, I –"

Stitch actually interrupted. "Generals, if you aren't in the medbay in five minutes, I'm going to file a report declaring you medically unfit for duty, which you are, and you will have no choice but to go through a full physical before you're allowed back in the field."

The two Jedi stood quiet, united once more in the face of a common foe. With a final glare, Stitch stalked off, following the injured clones.

The hangar bay quieted again. Near the destroyed shuttle, Rex and Cody were speaking to Advisor. The commandos were nowhere in sight.

Anakin rubbed his chin and cast a sidelong glance at his master. "It might be . . . wise . . . to obey."

Obi-Wan sniffed thoughtfully. "I expect you're right."

Just then, Kit Fisto approached, looking a bit confused. "Obi-Wan, Anakin. A medic named Stitch just asked me to tell you 'four minutes'."

"Ah, yes," Obi-Wan said vaguely.

Kit Fisto glanced from one to the other. "I was on my way to report to the Jedi Council, but I can wait if you will be otherwise occupied."

Anakin brightened. "Master Fisto, maybe you could make the report on your own this time?"

"An excellent idea," Obi-Wan added hastily. "We'll join you as soon as possible."

He turned and hurried across the hangar bay, Anakin close on his heels.

* * *

Rex sat on the edge of his cot, elbows resting on his knees as he held a cold pack against one side of his head. A short distance away, Cody leaned back against the wall, his eyes shut. Medics were moving quickly but quietly among the clones, treating the more severely injured first.

Gadget was sleeping on the other side of the room now, and Stitch, sounding surprised, had just declared him out of danger. They were all out of danger. No one was fatally injured. Well, Gadget _had _been fatally injured, but thanks to General Fisto he would survive. No one else would die today.

Rex shifted the cold pack to the other side of his head and waited for the thrumming pain to stop. Two good men lost, on a mission that had failed. Their losses were usually greater, and it was a miracle that the rest of them had survived, but Trap and Namer. . .

_They both went out like they wanted to._

Rex shared the feelings of many of the clones when he said he wanted to go out fighting. Fighting was what they did best, and what better way to die than in battle against the enemy?

Trap had once said that he didn't care how he died, as long as he was fighting, and as long as he _wasn't _shot out of a gunship. Rex smiled slightly at the memory of Fives' and Jesse's fervent agreement.

When the question had come around to Namer, though, he'd said that he wanted to go out protecting – something the rookies hadn't seemed to understand at the time. They defended and protected the Republic _by_ fighting, didn't they?

Rex sighed. Namer had been the only trooper, apart from a few clone officers, whom Rex went to for advice. Namer was older than Rex, more experienced – he'd have made a good officer, but he didn't seem to see that, or to want a promotion. He'd been like old Ninety-Nine that way, satisfied with doing simple jobs to the best of his ability and encouraging the talents he saw in his fellow soldiers, while somehow managing to stay in the background.

_Ninety-Nine knew Namer, _Rex thought. _I'll have to tell him, next time I see him, that Namer went out protecting General Kenobi. _

Rex closed his eyes briefly, then looked over to where Flash sat, listlessly following Stitch's instructions as the medic checked the saber burn on his arm. Flash had been close friends with both Trap and Namer – Trap had been his only surviving batchmate.

Stitch shook Flash lightly to gain his attention. "You can head back to the barracks whenever you want. Flash?"

Flash barely made eye contact with him. A young medic-in-training, who was trying to set Ghost's elbow, called Stitch softly. The senior medic cast a hesitant glance at Flash, then left to help the other clone.

Rex got up, tossing the cold pack to one side, and Cody sent him an inquiring look. Rex shook his head and went over to Flash. "Flash," he said firmly.

Recognizing his commanding officer's voice, Flash looked up. "Sir."

"How you holding up?"

Flash gave a dispirited shrug. "Medic says I'll be back on duty in a few days."

When Rex nodded, Flash stared unhappily at the floor. Rex knew he wanted to say something, but couldn't quite manage. Well, Rex could wait – he'd done this before, with troopers a lot more reserved than Flash.

It took perhaps half a minute. "I wish I'd been there," Flash said abruptly. "Namer, I mean. I never thought he'd . . . He was here when Trap and I arrived. The first time I talked to him, he said I had a temper like a laser flash – hot and short."

"Yeah." Rex sat down next to him. Namer had gotten his name from his own batchmates as a sort of joke, because he'd thought up names for all of them except himself. Several of the newest troopers in the 501st besides Flash had also gotten their names from him. "He was good at that."

They watched as a young medic moved past to run a scanner over Det's throat, which was bruised from the Force-choking he'd gotten.

"Trap –" Flash let out a reluctant laugh. "He thought I'd go out last, and he was right. He said I was too stubborn to die, but it wasn't that. It was just . . . chance."

He hesitated, then spoke again, sounding confused. "Count Dooku killed Trap because General Skywalker _wouldn't_ kill _him_."

Rex winced. _The general is going to be angry about that once he stops to think about it . . ._ "The Sith want to defeat the Jedi," he said. "When they can't defeat them physically, they try to get them to do things against their Code – conquer them from the inside out, I guess."

Flash shifted and looked away uncomfortably. "But he _could _have killed Dooku. The Jedi were trying to take Dooku out weeks ago!"

Rex faced him. "I don't know a whole lot about the Jedi, Flash, but remember – Dooku used to be one. He's evil because he used his power for the wrong things, and kept using it that way. Our Jedi could use their power for the wrong things too, if they wanted."

Flash shook his head in frustration. "I don't understand how killing Dooku could be wrong!" At Rex's warning look, he lowered his voice, but he still sounded upset. "It wasn't like General Skywalker was going to kill an unarmed prisoner – the count was trying to kill _him."_

"Yeah." Rex chose his words carefully. "I asked the general about something similar once. It has to do with _why _a choice is made. An action can be right, but if you do it for the wrong reason, it's still wrong."

_And I am _not _doing a good job at explaining this. _Rex rubbed at his head and tried again. "The Jedi are capable of a _lot, _and that means they have to be more careful than the rest of us, in some ways. If they act out of anger or hatred, they end up hurting themselves and a lot of other people . . . and not just physically."

Flash gave a jerky nod, but he didn't seem to understand.

Rex himself didn't really understand. He had no idea how to put into words something that he knew only from watching the Jedi, and from a couple of brief conversations with his general. But he didn't think Anakin's choice was what was really bothering Flash. If Trap had survived, Flash would likely have given that choice only a brief consideration, if he even thought about it at all.

Rex looked down at his hands. "If General Skywalker had known that Dooku would kill one of you, I'm sure he would have prevented it by whatever means he could."

Flash nodded again, with a bit more conviction. "Yes, Captain. I do know that. Just – why Trap? It could have been me, or Kix, or Jesse."

Rex considered for a moment. "Trap wouldn't have wanted it to be any of you."

"No, he wouldn't." He drew a breath and let it out slowly. "I should head to the barracks."

Rex got up and pulled Flash to his feet. "Get some rest, soldier. You did well."

"Thank you, sir." Flash stepped towards the door, then turned back with a tired smirk. "Captain, thanks for letting me take out those cannons. I blew up two – one for each of them."

"I'm sure they'd appreciate it," Rex answered. He waited until Flash had left, then moved back to his cot and sat down wearily.

Cody gave him a thoughtful look. He'd probably heard everything, but as always he didn't mention it – not directly. "Rex, how are you doing?"

"Good as you, anyway."

"That's not saying much."

"Better than you," corrected Rex. "_I_ didn't get myself blasted by Sith lightning and thrown off a balcony."

"Oh, don't worry." Cody grimaced, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Next time I'll tell Dooku to take you prisoner."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Rex gave him a smug look.

"I will, though. Especially if you keep up that superior attitude."

"What am I supposed to think? First you get thrown _into_ a wall, then you get thrown _off _a wall. . ."

"Better watch it, Rex," Cody threatened, though he didn't look as though he wanted to bother carrying out any sort of threat. "Last time you did this – oh, yes, didn't Ventress come along and throw you into a wall?"

"Not _exactly."_

"Nice try. I hope there's a Jedi around when someone decides to throw you off a wall, because someone will. You watch."

"Yeah, no thanks." Rex leaned back, tilting his head up and staring at the ceiling. Medbay ceilings were exactly the same as those in the rest of the cruiser, but somehow they always struck one as being a lot more boring. Maybe because nobody bothered to look at the ceilings except for when they were in medbay. "I wonder where the generals got to."

Cody gave him a look of tolerant disbelief. "They're supposed to be in here. That means they're probably waiting until the last possible second."

The two officers shared a smirk at their generals' expense.

* * *

When Kit Fisto entered the bridge, the presiding officer gave him a crisp salute. "General, what are your orders?"

"Would you get me in contact with the Jedi Council?"

"Right away, sir." He gestured to the comms officer, who set up a connection immediately.

Kit stood easily before the holotable and clasped his hands behind his back. The glistening blue of hyperspace flowed past on all sides, lighting up the bridge with its calming gleam. It was a bit like being deep underwater on his home planet.

The holo flickered, and Yoda appeared. _"Master Fisto. Good to see you, it is. Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker, rescued them, have you?"_

"We have, Master Yoda. Dooku and Ventress staged an elaborate trap. We were forced to leave her on the planet in order to escape, and even so, we lost two men."

_"Sorry to hear this, I am. A part to play, Ventress still has." _He frowned, his large ears drooping. _"Report in full when you return, you may, but until you reach Coruscant, rest, you should." _

"As you wish, Master Yoda." Kit Fisto inclined his head as the call cut off, then turned back toward the door.

Perhaps he _should _rest, but there was plenty of time for that. First he would visit Anakin in medbay. The young general tended to brood over his mistakes . . . He could probably use a bit of a distraction, even if it was only the news that he had lost the bet.

But before he did that, he would go find the commandos. He lifted his comlink. "Advisor?"

_"Yes, sir." _

"Are you in the hangar or the medbay?"

_"Neither, sir. I'm in briefing room four-A, writing out the Vassek Three mission report for High Command."_

"Unsurprising," Kit commented, then grinned at the silence from the other man. "And the Deltas?"

_"They're in the armory. Thirty-Eight said that if they didn't get the sand out of their helmets now, they never would."_

"I will join them, then."

_"Yes, sir. I'll be finished shortly."_

With a nod to the bridge officer, Kit Fisto headed for the lift, where he pressed the button for the armory. He glanced at the backs of his hands, which were covered in scrapes from the vulture droid Scorch had shot down. Had Scorch fired even half an instant later, the shrapnel could have taken off his hands entirely.

He stepped out of the lift. The commandos' files had described them as 'highly skilled', but Kit thought the term 'insanely skilled' was probably more accurate.

Kit turned into the armory and paused in the doorway. Boss sat on a munitions crate in the opposite corner, his helmet resting on his lap. He leaned his forearms across the helmet, idly watching his squad mates.

A few feet to his right, Fixer stared critically at his comlink. "I think the transmitter is damaged."

Sev, who was perching on another crate to his left, tapped his own helmet. "Rangefinder's a little off. I'll have to recalibrate it."

Scorch tossed his helmet onto a storage rack and stretched. "Well, mine's good. Not a scratch."

"There are plenty of new scratches," Fixer said, not looking up. "You were pretty close to that rocket, Six-Two."

"It's an expression." Scorch dropped his cleaning rag into a nearby box. "And stop calling me Six-Two. We're not on the mission anymore."

Fixer blinked. "We are until after debriefing."

Scorch and Sev exchanged aggravated looks, and Boss gave them all an amused, if exhausted, smirk. He picked up the dual pistols that belonged to Rex and stood up, clipping them to his belt. "One thing's for sure. We'll have to get new weapons before our next mission."

"Yeah," Scorch said. "Two new rifles; _three _new pistols; a vambrace for you, Boss, and your visor will need replacing. Oh, man, Procurement's gonna _kill_ us."

"Well," Sev muttered. "They'll at least kill you."

"Why? I didn't lose anything!"

"Nothing except your intelligence," replied Sev. "Though that was always in question."

Scorch grinned like a shark and turned on the sniper. "Intelligence is a pretty big word, Sev. You sure you know what it means?"

"I know it doesn't describe you."

"I'm glad you said that."

Sev looked suspicious. "Why?"

"Well, now I don't feel bad about beating your kill count."

"I don't think you know how to count."

"Cut it _out, _Sev," Fixer sighed.

Kit laughed.

The commandos finally looked in his direction. Boss and Sev got to their feet, and Fixer and Scorch straightened up.

"General," said Boss.

"I trust you are all well?" Kit Fisto said.

"Well enough, sir," Boss replied. "Is there something you need?"

"Not precisely. I thought I would go to medbay and speak to General Skywalker about our bet."

Sev exchanged a smirk with Scorch. Fixer's expression didn't really change, but a gleam entered his eyes.

Boss tilted his head and raised both eyebrows, as though the idea was worth only minor consideration. Everyone, including the Jedi, waited for his decision.

"I should return Captain Rex's weapons," he said at last.

Scorch snickered and Kit Fisto beamed.

* * *

The 212th's chief medical officer came over to join Cody. "Everyone's taken care of except for you and Captain Rex."

Cody waved a hand in Rex's direction, and Stitch turned to him. "I can't do much for you, Captain, except recommend that you get eight hours of sleep. Need a painkiller?"

"I could use one."

Stitch injected him and slipped the used hypo into a pouch on his belt. "Injuries, Commander?"

"Electrocuted four times," Cody summarized neatly, leaning against the wall. "And don't give me anything yet, or I'll be out of it for hours. I'll wait for the generals."

And if Stitch said, "You'll be waiting a long time," he said it after he was well away from Cody, and Cody couldn't be absolutely sure it was he who had said it. It might have been Ghost who said it, or Longshot – except, of course, for the minor fact that they were both asleep.

"It's been fifteen minutes," Rex observed after a moment.

Cody glanced at the medbay chrono to verify. It had indeed been fifteen minutes since Stitch's ultimatum, though the generals probably had another minute or two before the chief medical officer got severely ticked off and sent men after them. They were safe only until Stitch finished with everyone else, which he nearly was.

Stitch had promptly ordered everyone who had been on the mission to have twenty-four hours of medical leave.

Fives, Echo, Oddball, Waxer and Boil had been cleared almost immediately, although Stitch told them to get some rest or he'd know the reason why. Flash had joined them shortly after.

Det and Boomer were being kept here for the next eight hours, as were Longshot, Wooley, Snap, Switch, and Ghost. Ghost's injury had been severe enough in its placement that he wouldn't be in field combat any time soon. Still, it could have been so much worse.

Sixteen minutes.

Jesse lounged against the door, looking bored, as he waited for Kix to stop fussing around Gadget and the other clones who had been on the mission. Stitch joined Kix, checked that the cast on his wrist was set properly – much to Kix's chagrin – and gestured firmly toward the door.

Kix made it halfway there, then caught sight of Rex and Cody and veered in their direction instead.

"Kix," said Rex before he could ask after them. "We're waiting for the generals. _You _have your orders. Get out of here."

"Come on, Kix," pleaded Jesse. "We'll go pester the guys in the barracks and make sure Fives and Boil aren't causing grief."

Kix looked hesitant for a moment, then nodded and left.

_He's just like every other medic, _thought Cody, glancing fondly at Stitch. They grumbled and complained and griped about bad patients and careless soldiers – Cody had been given a _long _lecture the time he got carried away and punched a droid in the face – but they were always on the lookout to see what those around them needed. Medics, as a group, hated being treated for injuries when others needed healing.

Rather like certain Jedi he had the misfortune to know. . .

Cody straightened as the door opened, allowing generals Kenobi and Skywalker to enter. They both looked dreadful, though Anakin looked the worst. His face and left forearm were streaked with dried blood, and he was incredibly pale, with large, dark circles under his eyes.

"General," said Stitch, pointing him to a cot near Rex. "You know the drill. What happened?"

"Electrocution, cut on left arm," Anakin reported tiredly.

Stitch knelt, turned up his sleeve quickly and set to work, removing the old bandages and cleaning the slash. "Stun batons or shots?"

"Batons."

"How many times?"

"Uh . . . Cody, what was it?"

"Twice while I was with you, sir," Cody supplied.

Anakin jerked away slightly when Stitch applied synthflesh. "Okay, it was twice, then."

"Hmm. But that by itself doesn't account for your face." Stitch left the synthflesh to dry and took Anakin's chin between his fingers, tilting his head to one side so he could clean the cut on his cheek. Then he glanced at Anakin's arm, reached for a sealed roll of bandaging, and wrapped the injury securely. "You look like you haven't eaten or slept in a week."

Anakin shrugged. "Something to do with a bog-witch and the Force and the Dark Side," he mumbled, and yawned.

Stitch looked at Obi-Wan. "General?"

"It's nothing you can treat here," he said. "But I think that, whatever the Nightsister did, it's already mostly worn off. He will see a Jedi Healer when we reach Coruscant."

Stitch tapped Anakin's arm to signal that he was done and got to his feet. As he disinfected his hands, he nodded at the burn on Obi-Wan's collarbone. "Was that done with a lightsaber, sir?"

"I assure you, Stitch, it is merely a slight burn."

Stitch's sharp eyes met the Jedi's. "And I assure you_, _General, that you're not getting out of here until I treat it. Burns are highly susceptible to infection. Even 'slight' burns. I _asked _if it was done with a lightsaber."

Anakin snickered, then flopped down across his cot to rest his head on his arms. "Might as well stop arguing, Master," he said into his sleeve.

"Oh, very well." Obi-Wan glanced at Cody. "I've left orders. Until we reach Coruscant, all the men who were on the mission are off-duty. That includes you, Commander."

"Yes, sir," Cody said, running a quick mental calculation. "I'll inform the officers not to expect you on the bridge for the next twenty-six hours."  
General Kenobi opened his mouth, shut it again, and gave him a half-heartedly displeased look. As Switch set to work, Cody could have sworn that he heard Anakin chortling into his pillow.

* * *

Delta Thirty-Eight entered medbay behind Advisor, who had joined them just outside. It was strangely peaceful, despite the pervasive smell of bacta and disinfectant. The room was quiet and the lights faint.

Cody sat on a cot close by as a medic injected something into his neck. When he saw the squad, Cody stood, followed by Rex.

General Skywalker sat up, observing them interestedly through bloodshot eyes. "Deltas," he said. "I want to extend my thanks for your help today. And you, Master Fisto. We'd never have gotten out of there without the extra help."

Boss could tell, by the young general's voice, that he truly was thanking them. He probably didn't even remember about the bet at this point. Captain Rex, however, was another matter. As Anakin was speaking, the captain had given each of the commandos a searching look, then glanced resignedly at General Fisto.

Boss stepped forward and spun the pistols around to hand them to Rex. "They're good weapons," he said. "You know how many droids you've taken out with them?"

"I lost count," Rex admitted.

Sev grunted. "Yeah. Same here. Nearly every mission."

"There are worse things," Advisor said.

"Not many," Scorch said. "I mean, not the way Sev acts about it."

"Listen, wise-guy," growled Sev, turning towards him.

Scorch mimicked his posture. "Listen, psycho."

"_Scorch,_" hissed Fixer.

"Keep it down," Cody suggested, motioning at the nearby figure of a medic moving about in the dim light.

"Yeah," added Rex warily. "He's not the CMO, but . . . close enough."

"Very well," General Fisto said, smiling again. "We shall leave now, but you owe us drinks, Anakin."

Skywalker shook his head, shutting his eyes in amusement. _Ah, he did remember, after all. _"We'll beat you next time," he said assuredly. "But yeah, drinks are on us. This time."

"And I look forward to next time," replied General Fisto.

Cody turned to Boss. "I'll speak with you again before we reach Coruscant. Thanks for your help back there."

"Any time, sir," Thirty-Eight said. Exchanging a nod with Rex, he left medbay, the other commandos falling into place around him. Advisor and General Fisto caught up with them a moment later.

"General," said Scorch. "There's something I read once – during training on Kamino –" he added hastily, lest Fixer make the mistake of thinking that he actually read in his spare time.

Fixer cleared his throat.

"Anyway," Scorch went on. "I've been wondering."

"Ask away, Scorch," the Jedi Master replied.

"Is it true that Nautolans don't drink alcohol?"

"Well, some do," General Fisto replied with unusual gravity.

Sev cocked his head, homing in on a kill. "But – you don't, sir?"

"Never. But Anakin doesn't need to know that, does he?" He flashed a smile and strode cheerfully on ahead.

Fixer exchanged a faint smile with Boss. Scorch tossed them a quick grin over one shoulder, and Sev elbowed Advisor, who responded the same way, looking uncharacteristically amused.

The commandos never drank, either, and never had. Alcohol could lower one's skills and reaction times. Lowering either could mean death, so it had never seemed worth trying, even when they were on leave.

But General Fisto didn't need to know that, did he?

Boss smirked complacently. "Form up, Deltas," he said.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! :) I had a lot of fun writing it, especially the second time around. It's a good seven thousand words longer now, and several plot holes were found and vanquished. OBVIOUS plot holes and mistakes - would you believe that there was one scene where I said that Obi-Wan put his cloak on, TWICE? Gracious. :)
> 
> I'd love to hear what you thought of this story. Thanks! :)
> 
> Again, thank you to Spectersticks for the use of Switch and Snap - I did my best to return them mostly uninjured! ;D


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